Milo's Dark Deeds

[Darth Parox]

.

Imperial Palace, Korriban
2315 Local Time
Music​

Milo's expression was neutral, his hands behind his back as he strolled into the throne room. His face was visible, having left his helmet back in his chambers, seeing no reason to wear it when meeting with the Emperor. As usual on Korriban, his lightsaber was clipped to his belt, more a sign of his status as Sith than anything. Still, he wasn't thinking about that. His thoughts were with Nor'baal, and his final words. The scene had been replaying in Milo's head over and over again in the past few days, and he just couldn't shake off seeing the pride in the Hutt's eyes. U kulle rah doe kankee kung, he'd said. You're my kind of scum. It was the highest compliment coming from a Hutt, and it had been Nor'baal's last words.

Pushing thoughts of guilt aside, Milo walked into the chamber with a clear head. The Emperor didn't need to know about his misgivings, and he would not. Milo kept that part of him shielded. Besides, there was nothing wrong with feeling guilt, so long as he didn't feel regret. He had done his duty as a servant of the Empire, and he had done it well. He was a Sith on the rise through the ranks, and Milo behaved as such. After stopping a few meters away, he bowed to the Emperor and slid his datapad out, the hologram from its emitter bathing the floor in front of him in blue light, projecting the image of a dead Hutt—Nor'baal.

"Nor'baal Fanth is dead, Your Grace. The bounty on Darth Victress is no longer in circulation, and the Exchange is now in safe hands." His hands, for now.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

When Varyn had first come to power, he'd made a long, hard decision about who would be his assistant in power. He'd perused many options including beautiful women, droids, and even a variety of alien species with an innate telepathic ability so that Varyn could communicate with them silently. Ultimately, he had settled on a droid for a few reasons: they could have their memories wiped and he didn't often enjoy the company of other people. It was this droid that now wandered up to the throne next to him and its metallic voice told him who his next meeting was to be.

Oh, this should be interesting, he thought to himself. Word had already reached him of what had happened, and he was quite pleased when he heard it. He had been fairly confident that Milo would carry out his order, but he'd accomplished it even more quickly than Varyn had hoped.

The doors opened and the pair of guards at the door parted for Milo to enter. The walk was long, but in short order the Crusader had arrived. He held up a small projector, and Varyn could see the image of a Hutt's body, with pieces that should have been on the inside on the outside.

As much of a stoic person as Varyn was, there was a distinct look of pleasure on the Emperor's face. He was quite pleased with the performance of the Crusader, who had certainly caught Varyn's eye in his rise. It appeared his faith he had placed in Milo - or at least was much faith as he placed in anyone - had been rewarded.

Very well done, he said with a nod, standing up and descending the stairs.

In their prior meeting, Varyn had prodded into the man's mind, and had a habit of doing that to many people, but this time he refrained. Although he was ever sensitive to the Force that flowed in the room (and how could he not be when he spent many hours here?), plucking at those webs left no impression on anyone. The room's web was, in many ways, the product of the Emperor himself, and the spider was perfectly at home in its own web.

And what's to become of the Exchange? he asked. Varyn had ideas brewing for the organization, but the comment Milo made about it being in safe hands caught his ear. If the Crusader had plans of his own, Varyn wouldn't push him. He'd certainly earned the position. @vamp

 

[Darth Parox]

He stood upright a little more as the Emperor stepped off the throne and closer to him, and Milo switched the hologram off, stashing the datapad in his pocket. "I have been entertaining the idea of keeping its assets and running it under another persona—giving them the illusion of free will but keeping an iron grip on the Exchange's activities." He'd wanted to start his own organization, but with this one falling into his lap, he simply could not say no.

He could see the look on the Emperor's face, and Milo could not help but feel pride swell through him, washing away the guilt surprisingly easy. Nor'baal was gone, but things seemed to be looking up for him. Besides, the slug had been proud of what Milo had done—why shouldn't he?

He was modest enough to get through the report without asking for a reward—truth be told, he didn't expect one. There was one thing in specific he was seeking to ask for, but that could wait for now—at least until the Emperor brought the subject up. Milo remembered the assets the Exchange had held, and a slight smile came to his face. "It seems I have found Cait's reasoning for her close relationship with Darth Victress," Milo added. "The Exchange has holdings on Dromund Kaas—a spice research center, from the looks of it. More surprisingly so, said spice comes from the Mandalorian-controled mines of Kessel." The woman had played her cards right, it seemed. She had holdings throughout the Galaxy in both Sith and Mandalorian space, and she had managed to do it without upsetting anyone. Well, until she went crazy and ended up upsetting everyone.

"The mines should actually provide us with a good cover for taking Kessel, when the time comes. Beside that, I will be adding to the Exchange's assets—a casino I have arranged to purchase and remodel on Cantonica, with a spice packaging plant in the back. After I persuade its regional governor to join us once more, that is." He was due to meet with the man in a few days, and already had the poison necessary. The devil works hard, but Milo works harder.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn nodded as if in distant thought as Milo described taking over the Exchange. The Emperor was more than interested in making sure that the organization didn't have another "flare up" like this one. It was bad enough to have the terrorists and the Mandalorians out there, the last thing he needed was little upstart organizations to be starting to nip at the heals of the Empire. People would quickly discover that the new Emperor had no patience, pity, or mercy for those who did such things.

I look forward to seeing what you turn it into, he said. In some circumstances he might have said not to harm Sith assets or make sure that the group stayed out of fights against the Sith, but he didn't need to say that. Milo had shown his loyalty to the Empire in what he'd done, and he had no doubt he would keep the Sith out of the line of fire. In fact, his position in the organization - and by extension the underworld - might even position him to better deal with other threats to the Empire that may appear, and strike covertly against their enemies. It could prove quite advantageous indeed.

Make it so, he nodded his agreement as Milo spoke about what he planned to do to expand on Empire through the Exchange. The Emperors before him had lost a great deal of territory within the Empire, and it was time to begin taking it back. One system at a time if need be.

Varyn was silent for a moment, and he studied the face of the Crusader standing in front of him. Varyn understood the gravity of the order he'd given to Milo even better than he had let on. The Crusader had been stoic and hadn't flinched then or now, but Varyn couldn't deny his own curiosity.

The death of Norbaal. What did you think of it? he asked. There were many ways to tackle the question, and Varyn left it open ended for the man. Killing someone close to you was often a ritualistic action done during rise to power, but wasn't always an easy one. While he knew the other man wouldn't break down and cry over it, he was curious of his thoughts on the matter. There was much to be learned and gained from an answer, and keeping a pulse on such things could be the difference between life and death. @vamp

 

[Darth Parox]

Milo was not surprised that the Emperor asked that. The man liked to know everything that went on in his kingdom, down to the personal sentiments of his subjects. It made Milo feel a bit uncomfortable at times, mostly because he wasn't used to being asked such personal questions. Nevertheless, he didn't let it show, taking the questions in stride.

"Nor'baal was...a friend. It would be easy to continue beating around the bush, but I'd be lying to myself if I simply chalked it up to him being a business associate. He was one of my first friends in a world of enemies." But the Emperor wasn't asking for a sob story. "And I killed him. For a bit, I was wracked with guilt, and I suppose that's normal. Yet, I slowly grew to realize that it has tempered me, and I feel I have grown stronger than before." He decided to steer away from the more personal aspect of it. "Guilt aside, I did not regret it. He had the potential to grow to be a danger to the Empire, and his death is one problem nipped in the bud. He was a friend, but the Empire is my home and I have pledged my life for it; ultimately, I had to make a choice—a friend, or a home." He let the words hang for a moment. "But I know I have made the right choice."

Everyone has friends. Everyone has feelings. What sets a true Sith out is their loyalty to their Empire, and to the dark side. It is not weak to mourn the death of a friend, but it is weak to flinch in the face of responsibility. Milo did not. And now, he knew that when his loyalty was tested, he would come out on top.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn appreciated the man's honesty, and was slightly surprised by the lack of resistance. Pleasantly surprised. He could understand the sentiment because despite what many people said, Sith weren't all heartless sadists. Sure, there were some, but there were others who were somewhat normal people. At least to an extent, and friendship was a portion of that. Never mind that a Sith would still kill his friends. It was a vivid reminder of his own precarious situation.

You are, he agreed when the Sith said that he was stronger because of it. As is the Empire, he pointed out. While Milo had said as much, and Varyn knew he agreed, sometimes it could mean an entire difference in morale and mentality to hear someone else say it aloud. Varyn knew the request had been a difficult one, and Milo had carried it out well. While Varyn was hardly going to get sensitive on the subject, but even he could provide a moment's support.

The Empire - and it's Emperor - appreciate your loyalty, he said. Did he just talk about himself in the third person? Was that too melodramatic? Well, the way the sentence was constructed it certainly made sense... enough on that. He changed the topic quickly, but the sentiment was still there.

And to show my appreciation, he began, before motioning toward the side of the room and making a "come in" motion. One of his guards opened the door, and an Imperial officer bearing the insignia of a commander strode in and stood promptly at attention before the two Sith.

This is Commander Varo. He's been recently promoted and placed in command of a newly finished Nefarious-class Frigate. The ship and its crew will be acting at your command, he said to the Crusader. It was an elite and difficult to obtain reward, but Varyn knew the value of rewarding those who deserved it. @vamp

 

[Darth Parox]

He smiled and nodded as the Emperor complimented his deeds. Milo was slowly coming to terms with what he'd done, and the guilt was beginning to fade away, replaced by a cold sense of pride. He was a servant of the Empire. Everything else came second. His achievements could be measured by where he was in the rankings and what trophies he had to his name. One of which came over the next few seconds.

Milo's head snapped up and to the side, his eyes scanning the darkness, setting on the Commander as he stepped out of the darkness. It was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. "It will be my privilege to, Your Grace," he replied, his gratitude and pride visible on his face in a rare moment in which he actually let his emotions betray him. Not many commanded a frigate, and he would be the only Crusader to have such a privilege.

There had been something else he had wanted to ask for, but that had been assuming the Emperor did not have a reward in mind. Milo was patient enough to bid his time for it, and the Crusader pushed it out of his mind for now. He was close enough to it that all he needed was one, perhaps two, more pushes—Hoth would be very helpful, provided those on the ground actually managed to overwhelm a skeleton crew of resistance soldiers.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

The Crusader did nothing to hide his satisfaction with his reward, and Varyn was glad. He had well-earned it, and there was a distinct possibility that Varyn would call on him for more duties in the future. He was quickly proving to be responsible and capable of handling himself. Those were two traits that the Emperor valued highly.

Good, he said. The Commander will be waiting for you at the docking station. Thank you, Commander, he said, indicating that the Commander could take his leave now and that Milo would be along when the two of them were finished.

He waited for the doors to close behind the Commander, and then turned his attention back to Milo. While the Commander may hear parts of this down the line from Milo, he didn't need to be privy to every musing and conversation now.

As if he were reading Milo's mind - though that wasn't the case - the next question came around. And how comes the operations on Hoth? he asked, turning to other business while he had the Sith here. It was a large operation with serious potential repercussions, and it paid to keep a pulse on it. Not to mention its outcome would almost inevitably have an impact on the speed of Milo's ascension within the Order. @vamp

 

[Darth Parox]

.

"Scouts have reported the base to seemingly have been abandoned, noting the presence of a skeleton crew. That alone begs the question: if it were really abandoned, why would they leave men behind to keep it running?" He thought for a moment, trying to map out a route in his head. He'd done this a thousand times in the past few days; every time he thought he had everything planned, something knew came up, whether it was a meeting, mission, or other issue that needed attending. "The offensive will be launched in about two days' time, and I will be traveling directly to the system after a detour on Cantonica. I have a side mission planned on Bespin where I plan to investigate an alleged rebel base. If all things flow smoothly, we will have Hoth and Bespin in a weeks' time, and rebel space will be broken."

It was unfortunate, but he was the highest ranking Sith on the campaign. No one besides Acolytes and Agents had stepped up to offer themselves for missions, which discreetly spoke volumes of the current Crusaders and Lords in the Empire. Milo was not expecting the Emperor himself to be present, but it would have certainly boosted morale to have had Darth Victress fighting among the ranks. For once, he wasn't singling her out because he disliked her; there were no other Lords or Councilors to reprimand for their inactivity.

"It does come as a bit of a surprise that only lower ranking Sith have offered themselves for missions, however. For example, I will have an Agent fresh out of the Academy accompanying me because I quite literally couldn't find anyone more qualified." They had several Crusaders among their ranks, and yet none could be found on Hoth. Strange. "In case of a severe ambush,"--and he would not be shocked to see rebels using guerilla tactics--"many will be forced to fend for themselves as best as they can."

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn listened to the report and couldn't help but be reminded of Naboo and Al'doleem. They were "abandoned" and "evacuated" but that wasn't really the case. Their skeleton crews had been surprisingly large, and Varyn had never decided if that was a result of the evacuations being incomplete or something else. The added presence of Mandalorians seemed to imply that it was the former, but they could have easily been there in hopes of laying a trap.

They may be lying in wait, he said, thinking back to the battles he had overseen. Only time would tell, though Varyn didn't sense a trap as of yet. Regardless, he left it to the Crusader to deal with that if and when the time came. He'd already shown himself to be quite capable in that regard.

Bespin as well? he asked. To take both terrorist worlds would be a great victory. The sooner they could root out this dissension, the sooner they could deal with the Mandalorians and restore peace in the galaxy. A similar report there as well? he asked. He wasn't sure whether the Rebels had evacuated the base, but the scouts for the attack would have been able to tell immediately.

The strong will survive, he said in response to the comments about the fresh recruits being the only ones involved in the fighting. And it was true. Those who were of lower rank would make names for themselves in the battles, and if not, they would fall by the wayside. The Empire needed fresh blood, and Varyn wasn't opposed to seeing people rise through the ranks.

He considered for a moment those who had failed to appear. Many of the "officers" in the Empire were holdovers from its days of negligence, but even Varyn couldn't deny that their present performance was lackluster.

And even those in power will fall if they're weak, he said. Or they would be torn down by others like Milo who were climbing to the top. If he took issue with those higher above him, there were always means that those lower on the totem pole had to deal with that. Such was the checks and balances of the Empire. No one - not even a Crusader - was so weak as to be unable to do something about a problem they saw; if they took the initiative. @vamp

 

[Darth Parox]

"Bespin is a wild card. We have reports of a rebel warehouse storing Tibanna gas, but scouts have been unable to asses the situation. We'll be going in blind." He wasn't nervous though. Milo was confident in his abilities. If push came to shove and the agent coming with him proved to be too weak to stand his ground, the Crusader could always dash and order an aerial bombardment of the entire city block. It would be the perfect show of power to let the Anoat Sector know what happens to Jedi and rebel sympathizers.

The strong would survive indeed, but what Milo was most worried about was the fact that the alleged "strong" of the Sith did not even throw themselves into any significant conflict. Varyn addressed that in the next statement. He had a point, though Milo was unsure whether rooting out the only existing Sith Lord would solve the problem. Then again, she would be forced to fight at some point. There was only so much she could avoid until she was publicly deemed a coward.

"Indeed they will." Realizing this would be a good time to let the Emperor know what his next move would be, he spoke up again. "After Hoth, I was thinking about keeping the momentum going by making a grab for Mustafar. Rich in resources and a powerful nexus of the dark side—it's the perfect spot for a new temple." It had been some time since the Sith had established any major bases, and Mustafar—so close to rebel territory—was a wonderful choice.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn listened to the assessment of Bespin, wondering if perhaps it would be a route to a quick Sith victory. It could be a valuable morale boost to the wearied Sith who had been fighting a losing war for several years now since the prior leadership had... fallen by the wayside. While the Sith had been victorious at Naboo, the "victory" at Al'doleem had been merely pyrrhic. They had only managed in beating the rebels out of their foothold, and at costs that were too high.

As for the Sith Lords. Varyn's ears weren't deaf to the concerns about the Lords and Crusaders who still lived. Many viewed them as cowards, but he also knew they had been working machinations of their own. At least some of them had. Varyn wasn't intent on forcing anything at the moment. Such things would come of their own accord in time or resolve themselves in time. The Sith - his Sith - wasn't a place for the apathetic.

When Milo then launched into his next plans, Varyn's eyebrows actually rose, though the gesture was mostly hidden by his hood. The Crusader certainly was ambitious, and Varyn liked ambitious. He had plans after his plans, and that was how the Sith moved forward. And it was how an individual moved up in the Sith.

Most impressive, he complimented. It was clear that he was quite pleased with the man's work. You certainly present yourself as an ambitious one, he said. The statement was a compliment, but Varyn's own paranoia - that whispering voice - couldn't help but remind him that there was danger to the ambitious. But then, if someone came along after him who was better than him and furthered the Empire beyond what he could, was that such a bad thing? Varyn thought perhaps not.

Find success in your endeavors, and you'll be rewarded, he promised. Varyn was in the habit of raising up those who deserved it, and if Milo was successful in this, he would have certainly earned it. @vamp

 

[Darth Parox]

Ambitious indeed. Milo could only hope that his ambition would not be the end of him; things had gone so smoothly so far—it would be a damn shame for his luck to run out now. A monumental responsibility rested on his shoulders—the first assault since Al'doleem and Naboo. Much had changed since then, though, and it was the main source of his worries. Leadership had been poorer then, but the ranks fuller with more disciplined soldiers. Now, a fresh wave of Acolytes spilled out onto the snowy battlefield of Hoth, seeking to prove themselves. It was good, but also a dangerous gamble. If they proved to be runts, the entire mission could go sideways and the Empire threatened to embarrass itself.

"Yes, sir," he replied, bowing. The Emperor was pleased with his ambition at least, and it felt good to have some recognition—especially from the most powerful man in the Galaxy. Hopefully, next time they met, he would have equally successful missions to report. Until then, all Milo could do was head back out in the field and throw himself into his work. It had worked well so far.

"Will that be all, Your Grace?" he asked. One did not dismiss themselves; he would have to be dismissed by the Emperor before he could leave. Milo was looking forward to taking the Violator out for a test drive.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn felt a hint of apprehension pluck at one of the strings of his web, but not at a level that was inappropriate. It was prudent to be concerned that your operations would go well because arrogance and overconfidence could sink a mission as quickly as lack of discipline. These were the things that had to always be on the mind of a commander, and they seemed to be on Milo's mind. It was a good sign, or at least Varyn hoped. He hoped that the Sith would continue his rise and the Emperor would one day see him seated on the Dark Council.

But such ambitions were yet to be realized and a million things could happen to either of them between now and then. The Empire may have fallen from its former glory, but he was eager to see it replaced. It could return to power on the backs of men like this.

That will be all, he said with a nod, and watched the Crusader walk out of the room. As the door closed behind him, Varyn was alerted that this was his final meeting for the day, but he said nothing for a moment, standing and pacing around the throne room. His spirit reached out to the tendrils of the room once again, plucking at each one that had attached itself to those who had met with him. they were connected to him here now, and their weave was a powerful tool.

Excitement, fear, anticipation, despair, anger, rage, and hatred. They were all emotions that he could feel emanating from those he had met with throughout the day, and they were common among the men and women of the Empire. Some could be powerful and needed only directing toward the enemy. Others were the source of weakness that needed to be purged. It was his job to find the right answer to each, and he intended to do that. The Empire relied on it.

//Thread @vamp