Ask Rabid Animals

[Darth Tempest]

.

Without warning, the assassin had struck before dawn. They had dispatched the pair of Royal Guards had stood vigil before the Suzerain’s chambers and slipped inside without further resistance - armed with a poison-soaked blade. They’d gotten far too close for comfort, and it was only by virtue of Vahliri’s sensitive hearing that she’d detected the invader.

A quick stroke of her lightsaber - the hilt left atop her nightstand - was all it took to remove the assassin’s head from his shoulders, and spared the half-Annfyn from an unceremonious end. Of course, she wasn’t quick enough to prevent the assassin from burying his dagger in her thigh. While the injury itself wasn’t lethal, the poison that coated the weapon had kept Vahliri in the medbay for a day - where she was treated and kept under observation.

It had only been a few weeks since Vahliri had established herself as the Suzerain of Thule - and it meant that her reign was hardly secure. She had the loyalty of many royalists in Hurom and that of Imperial Armed Forces, but warlords had arise across some of the more remote provinces of the planet. Apparently, with enough resources and support to send assassins into her very bedchamber.

It was a troubling thought, and likely one that would require some addressing. For the moment, though, Vahliri turned her attention to something far more pleasant - the knowledge that Anai had arrived on the planet to see her.

Whenever the Kaleesh arrived, she would be led towards the medbay by a pair of Royal Guards - strolling through the pyramid corridors. Vahliri patiently waited inside to greet the Kaleesh, sitting on a chair in her private medical room - just barely in the process of being discharged.

@Versok

 

[Anai Skhess]

Usually, when it came to the matters within imperial borders, Anai didn't arrive to help at herself: No, she had her inquisitor persona to take care of that, there were few things scarier than an inquisitor on duty and it usually helped her get to places when she usually could not. However, this mission was a bit different, more personal. She hadn't been asked by the inquisition to arrive and deal with the insurgents, no, she had come here out of her own volition to help out a friend of hers.

Armed and armored, the tall Kaleesh champion was an imposing sight, even more so given the icy stare she was giving to the royal guards that were escorting her...Guards that had allowed this to happen with their ineptitude. Anai knew well what being a royal guard entailed, his father was one in the past back when he was alive, and she understood that the moment any of them faltered in their loyalty the cracks in their defense would be visible for any attackers to exploit, which is probably what had happened.

Her skeptical nature as a result of inquisitor training made her come to the conclusion that allowing this assassin to attack Vahl meant betrayal, even if it had happened out of ineptitude or just a short lapse in devotion rather than malice, she would make sure to have all the guards be investigated should her friend allow it, the only ones free of doubt would be the ones already dead.

That icy stare would quickly dissappear the moment she set her eyes on Vahl, however. Anai quickly walked towards Vahl, a smile forming behind the bone mask as she wrapped her arms around the Half-Annfyn, giving her friend a big hug "I am glad to see you're doing better" Of course, Anai had been told that she was fine, but she'd rather see it with her own eyes, just in case "And it's nice to see you come so far, leading a whole planet, even if there's some troublemakers to dispose of..."

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

By the time Anai entered the medbay, Vahliri was already in the process of being discharged. Luckily, the wound to her leg had proved to be mostly superficial - treated with the routine stitching and Bacta patches. The poison.. Had been of a larger concern. But state-of-the-art, Imperial medical care had ensured the half-Annfyn’s speedy recovery from even that initial hurdle.

The implications of the assassination attempt were, in all actuality, more troubling than the results.

She was dressed in crimson-and-gold robes, lightsaber placed on a table nearby. The moment she caught sight of the Kaleesh’s familiar visage, Vahliri rose up from her seat, a smile tugging wide across her lips. “Anai!” She threw her arms around the woman, squeezing her tightly. “It’s been too long! How are you?” There were only a handful of people in the Empire that Vahliri could genuinely consider a friend, and the Kaleesh was one of them.

“I hear you’ve been busy too,” She gave the larger woman’s shoulders a squeeze.”

Vahliri glanced around. “Thule has been.. A challenge, but it has come a long way. But yes - still some to be disposed of.” The half-Annfyn said with an edge of irritation. “Outside and Inside, I would say.” It was difficult to tell how deep the treachery ran. The fact they might’ve infiltrated her royal guard wasn’t beyond her imagination.

"I don't plan on giving them reprieve, now I'm back on my feet."

 

[Anai Skhess]

"Had...rough times here and there in certain missions, but I've been doing well" Anai replied back with a smile, she would not dwell on what had happened at a certain space station, at least not now, but she was one of the few people to get out of it mostly unscathed, but it was shameful to admit that it was not something that happened thanks to her own efforts, she needed to be better.

"Your insufficient services are not needed at the moment, scatter, I shall speak with your highness in private" Anai coldly told the guards that led her and now were guarding outside of the medbay. They probably wouldn't take orders from the Kaleesh but she was sure Vahl would tell them to go too if they refused. She would close the door of the medbay, allowing the two sith to have a truly private talk, away from priying eyes.


"I agree, I doubt the people discontent with the change of management don't have an inside man, wouldn't have been so easy to get to you otherwise" Anai stated. Her father was once one of the bodyguards of the chief in her tribe, people that were the best of the best in order to protect their leader. If Vahl's guards were anything like them they wouldn't have allowed an assassin to get so close to her.

...Unless it was done on purpose, of course "So reprieve we shall not give them, do you have any plans, Vahl? Any way I can help?" The Kaleesh asked now that they were alone, at least in theory. Anai would make sure to use the force to enhance her vision, all in the search of either a spy bug or people that were listening to things they shouldn't be listening to.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

“You survived it all, and you’re here.” Vahliri said with a fond smile, giving Anai’s shoulders a squeeze. Despite there being room for improvements. Whatever the Kaleesh had lived through - she had come out stronger in the end. Such was the way of the Sith, and it was precisely what the half-Annfyn expected from someone like her friend. Vahliri allowed her gaze to flick over to the pair of Royal Guard, listening as Anai gave orders for them to scatter. Both of the men shifted slightly to leave, and the smallest nod from the half-Annfyn was enough for them to turn and exit from the room. She took a step forward, pacing back and forth through the medbay.

She had to act quickly to root out the people that had betrayed her, and to find their connection before that loose end was inevitably cut as well. “I am certain they are within my guard,” She said after a moment, an uncomfortable reality she only now dared to address. “They wouldn’t have gotten so close, if not. Almost all of the Royal Guard are Thuleian, and swore allegiance upon the death of the former King.” Swore, but perhaps weren’t as loyal as they claimed.

“Rooting out the traitor amongst my own men will lead us directly to their leader,” Whether it was a military commander or one of her Viziers, the would-be assassin was working for someone. “The two men killed outside my door and the assassin himself are easy to rule out,” She said with a cross of her arms. “No one else beyond doubt.”

“We.. Need to give them a reason to try again,” She said after a moment, pondering her options. “Let them believe there is an opportunity to strike again, draw them out of hiding, and capture them alive.” Drawing the information out of them, at that point, would be all-too-easy.

“Any ideas?” She asked the Kaleesh.

 

[Anai Skhess]

Anai listened closely as Vahl gave her the context regarding the situation she was in. It was all par for the course, bodyguards that promised loyalty with empty words, it was clear some of them were bound to remain loyal to the now dead king, it was an admirable trait, truth be told, but that unfortunately meant little when they were their enemy, just gave them a reason to show no mercy towards them.

"An opening...and maybe an ally." Anai would state, looking at Vahl in the eyes as the gears inside the head of the Kaleesh warrior began to turn "It is known that sith shouldn't trust each other for the most part, our history is full of personal vendettas and fights for power, who's to say the same couldn't apply here?" The Kaleesh explained, pausing for a moment to let Vahl follow her line of thought.

"A sith feigning friendship, taking advantage of a previous assassination attempt and going for the kill herself...Would make for a convincing act" She said, her mind going back to her inquisitorial training, it was a bit harder to do double agent stunts without total anonymity, but she could work under these current circumstances "We would have to make it look real while also making it a failed attempt, have a fight break up between us two loud enough for them to hear, should your loyal bodyguards come first I should escape and hunted down while waiting for them to contact me..."

"Should it be the other way around, however...We would have our work cut out for us if they really try to take advantage of it." Of course, it all depended on how antsy these traitors were, the Kaleesh could be doing this for just a couple hours or maybe a couple months, but she didn't mind, the hardest part would be making it convincing...Which meant hurting each other in the process.

@Altaris