Ask Serenno Royalty

[Darth Malicia]

A serving girl tightened the bun in Malicia's hair. Her silver strands were pulled away from her face for the activity she was about to engage in. Her eyes were blue, as she'd begun wearing contacts more frequently. When people asked, she simply dismissed her yellow eyes as contacts—fashion statements— and told everyone blue was her natural colour.

She'd been dressed by the servants for fencing: a high collared jacket, chest protector, fitted breeches and lightweight fencing boots. A small embroidered patch with her current houses emblem was attached to her jacket's shoulder before she left the room. While most days she did not look forward to her time on Serreno, she knew today wouldn't be that bad. Maybe she was even looking forward to being in his company. It'd be a break from her cultists, her Serreno father and everyone else.

Ever since Malicia could think back, she'd been trained for combat. The way she stood, walked and moved was influenced by that. Perhaps not in a way that most people could notice. It was just a simple fact that she'd be very different person if she wasn't raised with a saber in her hand. She didn't have a weapon as she was still walking to the courtyard, though.

The small Darth was lead through the court by a few servants. It was empty, just, due to how the palace was laid out, the court was part of a shortcut to where they were going.

Sun kissed Malicia's pale skin as the her and the group of girls passed the threshold from the palace to its outside estate. Malicia spotted the Count. His tale frame stood in his fencing outfit in the courtyard, right in the middle of a ring. She noticed the suns rays hallowed his frame and it brought her attention it for a moment, though she returned her thoughts to the moment.

"Your Grace," Malicia greeted, waving from the stairwell. Once she got to the bottom, she noticed a rack of weapons and quickened her pace slightly to examine them. Though her gaze was on the items at first, she stopped when she got closer and returned her eyes to the Count. Her steps brought her in front of him and she curtsied with a smile. "Are you pleased with the outfit?" she asked, tipping her head slightly. He had mentioned wanting to see her in it, so she hoped that the outfit fit her frame in the way the Count imagined.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Ramil would like to have spent more time preparing for the sparring match – both out of a desire not to underestimate her and because he missed just strapping himself into his gear and letting loose. There was just something so much more freeing about being ready to fight than spend his time talking about recent proposed tax reforms. Tax reforms were important, he wasn’t naive enough to think otherwise, and that meant they trumped his desire to go a few rounds.

Which meant he had been a little bit irate at some of his staff and a little bit shorter than he probably should have been with some of the more overtly stupid members of his staff. Still, he had managed to push through reasonable tax reform and now he was going to fence with a beautiful young woman in the bright sun of Serenno.

It was a good day.

Finishing strapping up his hands so that his gloves would fit snugly, Ramil looked up and caught sight of his guest as she made her way toward him. Despite himself he felt himself smiling and his gaze roamed over her form. It was… not unpleasant at all to spend a moment drinking in the way her form looked when wrapped up so tightly by the fencing fear.

“My Lady.”

Without his helmet in place, she would be able to see the way his smile brightened ever so slightly at seeing her again. Though he did quirk an eyebrow at how her eye color seemed to have changed. He was certain he hadn't just imagined that her eyes had been yellow, maybe slightly honey-colored, when they'd last met.

“You certainly don’t disappoint in any regard, my Lady. Changing your coloring even - bold choice.” He responded with a small bow of his head before gesturing to the weapons rack, “Do you have a preference for saber or foil?”

He had been trained with both as a matter of course – being the Count of Serenno came with certain expectations and one of them was knowing his way around a blade.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Malicia's smile remained when he seemed happy with her appearance. It always felt odd to be able to actually express certain feelings. He could still take advantage of her for it, though she was in control of the situation so she worried little about it.

Though she did wonder what she should tell him about her eyes. It took a few seconds pause but she decided, "Which colour do you prefer?" she asked, smiling again. Her eyes had a hint of amusement and playfulness in them, a combination that was extremely rare for her. She surprised herself, though she tried not to let her mind dwell on it. This was a role. She was acting.

"Saber," she answered. It'd been a long time since she touched such a weapon but she clearly remembered her preference once it was asked. Malicia looked back one more time at the Count, giving him another smile of excitement. She turned to reach for the weapon when the sounds of blaster fire and screaming made her pause.

They were here already?

She'd hired men to put on a show. To try to kill her. To make it more realistic, they hadn't planned an exact time or method, but she thought she'd get more time before they attacked. Malicia's eyes raised to look towards the sound. "Ramil?" she asked, which was probably the first time she used his name. She was suppose to be surprised so it made sense to be off - also, she was actually surprised on some level.

The sounds of lightsabers echoed in the distance, and she knew that her plan was in full swing at that point. There were two men in the attack team and both were using blue lightsabers she'd acquired from her past endeavours. They shouted something about having authority to execute Lilian and then a few more blaster bolts from the Counts guards fired.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

What color did he prefer? Ramil was a little bit confused at the remark if he was honest - he hadn't thought that there were many reasons for someone to avoid just going with their regular eye color. He raised an eyebrow as he looked her in the eyes, focusing on the eyes themselves for a moment before shrugging ever so slightly and giving her a small smirk.

"Is this one of those new fashions I'm just not privy to?" he asked with a bemused expression, "My Court is going to be full or red and yellow and white eyes by next week isn't it? I should follow trends a little more I suppose..."

He waved a hand.

"Whichever is your natural color."

It was probably a good idea to not suggest that she needed to change herself, in any way, to fit what he found more attractive. He doubted that openly telling her that her yellow eyes looked kind of, off, would help their relationship. His eyes lit up slightly when she selected the saber, it was his favorite as well.

Reaching out, he took his preferred training saber from where it rested upon the rack and enjoyed feeling it's weight in hand.

"A woman after my own heart." he teased her with a wink as he twirled it in his hand, "Sometimes I wish I had been born in a time of war... wait..."

He dropped the practice saber at the sound of blaster fire and screams. Clicking his fingers, his bodyguard tossed him his actual saber in it's scabbard and Ramil drew the vibroblade weapon with gritted teeth. He reached out with his free hand, taking hers within his own.

"It's alright Lilian - we'll make it through this." he assured her, snapping to his bodyguard, "Chester! Fetch a speeder - we can hold them off and evade them until you come back!"

The bodyguard looked concerned but Ramil was in no mood and a glare sent the large man on his quest to locate a vehicle to escape.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

She allowed herself to continue to smile, sensing that the Count wasn't being completely honest about her eyes. It was slightly confusing to her why he'd dodge the question, though she supposed it really didn't matter.

Once the screaming in the distance had her attention, the warmth of his hand suddenly grabbing hers made her jump slightly. The action forced her eyes to her own hand, then to him with a hint of surprise. The reaction was a natural, raw one that she did not have the ability to control even while undercover. Though he spoke of making through this, and she didn't sense any desire to hurt her so she calmed and was able to pull herself back together.

"Those are the sounds of lightsabers..." Lilian said. She frowned and lowered her gaze.

"My Lady, you should have a weapon too!" one of her servants spoke up. The woman stepped forward and offered Lilian her bag, just beneath where her gaze was. The small Darth reached into it, pulling out her wrapped lightsaber hilt and staring at it.

She frowned. "This is all my fault..." The sound of a speeder whirling towards them began to get louder, though she looked at the Count instead of where she was hearing the speeder. "I should've told you earlier about... well. They're probably here for me because..." she paused for a couple seconds before continuing, "Because I share the same beliefs as your ancestor, Count Dooku."

Her arm lowered, though her grip on her lightsaber hilt was firm. "I'm so sorry, Your Grace, I should've told you earlier. Its just... hard to broch the subject of religion sometimes, especially with Jedi willing to kill you over it."

"Stop him!" one of the guards shouted. A man with a blue lightsaber stumbled through a bush on the edge of the courtyard. The moment he saw the Count and Lilian, he charged.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Ramil was certain the reason that she jumped slightly when he held her hand was out of the surprise of the whole situation. It was reasonable, he thought, considering the whole situation was enough to give even himself more than a bit of a panic as well. Hopefully she was able to take some measure of comfort by his presence and his confidence that they would make it through the current crisis without further issues.

The sound of lightsabers?

He didn't know the sound of lightsabers well enough from experience to make such a judgement call as she did. Lightsabers were rare as only Force Sensitives really used them - and despite what it might seem like, the number of trained Force Sensitives in the Galaxy was tiny. Though he supposed she might have a better understanding since she collected them.

"Such a sound... rare but not unheard of in some parts of the Galaxy..." he muttered in agreement as she grabbed her own... lightsaber rather than a sword, "My Lady, would you not feel more comfortable with a vibroweapon?"

Lightsabers were swords but they were so different to physical swords in so many ways that it was often said that one needed the Force to use them as anything other than a blunt instrument. He had no doubt that it would cut better but what good did that do when one needed to be trained in their use alongside a mystical element?

The same beliefs as his ancestor...? That covered a lot of ground! Dooku Serenno was a man of many complications and beliefs - was she claiming... what? That she believed in the Dark Side of the Force as he did? Self-determination for planets and systems away from the Republic? So many more questions!

Still, he didn't pay attention to the buzzing questions within his mind as he put himself between Lillian and the man charging with the blue saber. Ramil met him mid-charge, catching the lightsaber against his vibroblade before flicking both blades to the side and shoulder barging the man to knock him backward. The Count held his vibro-saber firmly in hand.

"You will not find me easy prey, blaggard!"

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Lilian heard the Count ask his question about the vibroweapon and at first it was met with silence. Whether she used her lightsaber or not probably wouldn't change too much in the end. Bringing it out momentarily planted that seed in his mind that she wanted and that was enough. "You're right, a vibroweapon is better," she answered with a nod.

There wasn't much time for either of them to speak after that. Ramil put himself between her and the charging stranger. She stayed back at first, observing the Count with interest. Her cultists always protected her because it was their duty. Anyone who protected her outside of that always drew interest from her. She could sense the Counts mind stirring with his own interest and through it he still pushed back the assailant with relative ease.

It wasn't surprising. Both attacking men were from poorer areas, neither were highly trained. At least, she assumed they weren't. She recruited them herself, following all the rules her Cadre-masters taught her for these types of hirings. No middle man. Generic baggy outfit, face and head covered, muffled voice. No witnesses or cameras to the hiring and give the bare minimum of information. That meant the men attacking didn't even know they were posing as Jedi, and weren't claiming it either. That they could possibly be either Jedi or hired by Jedi was all that mattered. This wasn't something that needed to be newsworthy.

When the assailant stumbled back, he charged forward again but he didn't get far. "Ramil!" she yelled with a worried tone. Lilian stepped forward, placing herself near the Count. Basically facing him, as if she was still wary to go out in front, and extended her hand in front of them both. She focused enough to let out a near break-neck wave of Force, sending the attacker flying far back and very likely killing him in the process. Everything in the wake of the push bent.

She heard the screeching wheels of their speeder turn a corner, finally stopping by the two nobles. Both were ushered in, and Lilian went along with it, taking a seat in the back of the car with the same look of worry she'd placed on her face since the attack began.

"There's one more hostile on the property, Your Grace. We'll need to remove you both until we can take care of him," the driver said. He was peering over his shoulder, speaking through a slightly cracked open window between the divers seats and the back passengers seats. Lilian could feel the speeder pick up momentum as it began to pull out.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Perhaps it had been heat of the moment that forced her to grab at her lightsaber and he could appreciate that but he was also glad that she then changed her mind for a vibroblade. Lightsabers were notoriously difficult to work with and non-Force Sensitives were equally as likely to cut their own limbs off as they were their opponents. Ramil, personally, thought it had a lot to do with how the balance tended to feel off.

Some people said that the balance kind of shifted when you used the Force in tune with the saber but he didn't know anything about that aside from some journals written by past Force Users.

His assailant was... pathetic.

More than anything, this was exactly what told him that the attacker was definitely not a Jedi. As he had cautioned Lilian before, a non-Force Sensitive swinging a lightsaber around was just like a child swinging a sword around; more likely to hurt themselves than others. Still, he narrowed his gaze and prepared to counter attack, to disable the assailant with some precise strikes from his own blade now that he was aware just how poorly trained the attacker truly was.

He was not expecting the Force - especially for it to come from Lilian rather than the supposed 'jedi'. Eyes wide, he spun to face Lilian as she batted the attacker aside with such brutal force as to split the man's head open against a nearby wall.

"Wait!" he thundered to his bodyguard turned driver and to Lilian as well as he quickly dashed over to the dying assailant, thrusting his blade into the man's throat to ease his passing with a clean kill, even as he grabbed the lightsaber the man had been using, slipping it inside his training gear quickly before heading back to the speeder, "Chester - I want a comlink with access to the feed being used by security and I want it yesterday."

The speeder pulled away from the training ground with Ramil and Lilian securely seated in the back of the speeder. He eyed Lilian as they sped up.

"We're overdue a conversation and explanation, I feel." he told her bluntly with a frown, "But it can wait until we have evade these people."

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

Lilian nodded at the count. She knew he'd have questions and—quite frankly—she planned to be fairly honest with him, though it depended entirely how he acted and what he asked. The small Darth hadn't forgotten that the Count was, in fact, a smart man. She was willing to treat him that way if her hands weren't forced to more extreme measures. He seemed open to her beliefs, at least.

"Of course, Your Grace, we'll have it done right away," Chester answered.

Since it didn't seem like her input was needed, Lilian remained quiet in the speeder. It was so armoured that she couldn't actually hear anything outside of it. Time passed fairly quickly while the palace guards hunted the last man. They were able to gun him down after he couldn't find Lilian and got himself cornered in a room inside the palace.

Because the attackers weren't that skilled, one of senior palace guards suspected that the main goal was to intimidate and scare. To what end, he wasn't sure. Could someone be against the Count marrying Lilian? Was it for some other reason entirely? That was what he reported to the Count.

--------- After the attack, in one of the palaces drawing rooms ---------

Lillian sat at the very edge of one of the couches, her tiny frame leaning towards the fireplace. A cup of tea was clutched in her hands and she was still in her fitted fencing gear. She hadn't been allowed to leave the room and protection of the guards. The tea was same type she'd had before and it made her wonder if they thought she liked the kind or something. Steam was still coming from the cup, so she hadn't bothered trying to take a sip. It'd been poured for her by one of the servants only a few moments earlier.

She wasn't sure where the Count was exactly, though she waited for him anyway while she stared into the fireplace. When she heard the door open, she turned to place the cup of tea down and look towards whoever was entering.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Ramil was furious.

Furious at so many things and at so many people that it was hard for him to think straight for a moment. Taking the time to calm himself with a deep breath, Ramil closed his eyes and counted to ten as the room he was in filled with nervous tension. Chester and the guards who had been there at the dueling area were with him and he was furious so they kept silent as he focused himself better.

When he opened his eyes, he eyed the guards.

"We cannot question a dead man for his motives and lightsabers, even when used by actual Jedi and Sith, have trouble with stun bolts. So... with these facts in mind... can any of you give me a good excuse as to why you decided to use lethal force?"

There was none.

He took a deep breath and shook his head as he started to let go of some of his anger. Ramil nodded to his guards and they relaxed somewhat.

"Make a statement to the press that the attack is to be investigated but release no details; confirm nothing from any reporters and refer back to the first part of my statement if pressed." he instructed them firmly, "Make it clear that there is no conclusive evidence of who was behind it and any speculation otherwise may compromise an ongoing investigation. Get the Press Secretary to write that in a way that the leeches of the Press will like."

Ramil paused to look at the captain of the guard before rolling his eyes.

"And, you know, actually start investigating? Get to it men."

He nodded to Chester.

"With me, Chester."

His loyal bodyguard nodded and followed him as he entered the room he had been avoiding for an hour or so at this point. Lilian awaited inside - Lilian the liar. She who had such secrets as being able to use the Force but hid it from him. Why? Well that was why he was here, to find out. Right now it was only that desire to know more, to understand, that had him calming down enough to actually ask questions rather than act.

He stepped into the study and stared at her, standing there drinking his tea, before frowning as the door closed. The room was soundproof to better help him relax but it would also mean that what was said would be left among the three who remained.

"Lilian."

There was no title this time.

"Perhaps you would like the chance to explain before I ask some of my more pointed questions?"

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

She could sense he was angry, and he'd brought someone else with him. That meant she couldn't be any type of honest, not unless she wanted to end everything and simply go with plan A. It seemed like that was the most natural course of this conversation. At least she'd experimented with a non aggressive takeover. If this approach didn't pan out the Force was telling her something.

"Please, ask your questions, Your Grace. I'll answer the best I can," she said, though she looked away from him after so she didn't have to monitor her expression. Licks of the fire reflected in her gaze while she continued, "I planned on telling you today, but I never planned on using it in front of you. Not without your permission, or, at least, without knowing if you were comfortable with it or not."

Before she continued it dawned on her that she actually hadn't wanted to hurt him, which was odd. Maybe because he wasn't bad company, or her desire to try something different was channeled into him and made him more appealing, or both. Maybe it didn't matter at all.

"But seeing you being charged, I... acted rashly," she added.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Ramil could see that she was on edge and he couldn't blame her for that. She had gone through the same thing he had but the difference was that she had had an ace in the hole that he didn't know about. Chester had caught a glimpse of it at the end too but his bodyguard was loyal to a fault - he wouldn't say anything against the Count regardless of his personal opinion. He also wouldn't betray any secrets that the Count encountered unless ordered to by the Count himself.

He let out a deep breath in a slow, controlled, manner and his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. There was something about the way she was speaking, with her shoulders so hunched, that made him want to believe her. It was tempered with the fact that she had, in fact, been keeping secrets from him. If they had been simple secrets he wouldn't have minded so much but a secret as large as trained Force Sensitivity?

Well... he assumed she was trained.

"So you're a Jedi?" he asked as he moved over to his drinks stand, pouring himself a measure of whiskey and doing the same for her after only a second's thought, "Does your father know or did he want it hidden from me and the Court?"

He brought the whiskey over to her, handing her the glass he had made up for her before nodding to Chester to dismiss him. His bodyguard was a comforting presence... to him. But the man was large, well trained and armed at all times; a combination that always tended to rattle people in his experience. If he wanted truth, unfiltered truth, then he was going to need her comfortable enough that she would explain.

With Chester gone, he stood beside the fireplace, gazing into the fire.

"Suppose you having a lightsaber 'collection' makes more sense now... your own I take it?"

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

For whatever reason, he calmed down quickly. It was certainly not something she was use to. Still, it meant she didn't have to slam the door on him, metaphorically speaking.

"No, Your Grace," she answered, shaking her head when he asked if she was a Jedi. She didn't explain further, at first. There was still someone else in the room.

"Both of us prefer my abilities kept hidden to avoid judgment. The Free Wolds and Jedi may have no say over Serreno but they have a bias against those with my beliefs. They look at extremists and label everyone that way. Then again, I don't believe war and expansion is evil," she said.

She was an extremist though, wasn't she? She'd devour an entire planet if she had the power and chance, but she'd carefully select it. She did not wantonly throw around her weight. That'd only lead to a swift end.

When the bodyguard left, she heard the Count mention her lightsabers. Lilian accepted his drink, but didn't take a sip and instead shook her head. "Only two. Red because I share the same religion as Count Dooku. Sith, Your Grace."

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Ramil was calmer than he had been before but it wasn’t because his frustration had suddenly gone away – it was a trick he used when he needed to move on despite his emotions. It wasn’t anything as elaborate as using the Force but it was a mental technique that some of his family doctor’s had encouraged him to pick up as a form of meditation. Being the Count of Serenno was not without it’s issues and one of them was the stress.

At the end of the day he was the authority of his planet both on the Galactic stage and domestic – he had advisors, sure, and aides but at the end of the day he was the source of it all. Aides and Ambassadors and the rest only existed because he allowed them to, empowered them to. So he focused on taking care of himself, of his mind, to keep everything moving smoothly even when he wasn’t emotionally as steady as he should be.

Not a Jedi.

Ramil wasn’t ignorant of what that suggested – there were only so many groups of trained Force Sensitives in the Galaxy and he was related to Count Dooku. The dots didn’t take much connecting and the picture they were making was equal parts intriguing and deeply worrying. He raised an eyebrow and stared at her for a moment.

“I can’t claim to have records directly from my ancestor but there are plenty of second hand accounts and they all seem to paint the same picture; there is no such thing as a peaceful Sith.” He said as he sat down in one of the leather chairs, taking a sip of his whiskey, Chester having stepped out by the time he spoke again, “It’s a creed based on some parts of the human experience that others would deny.”

He rested the cold glass against his forehead, closing his eyes and just breathing slowly as he thought about it more.

“Are you a part of the Sith Eternal?” he asked her, opening his eyes then to look her right in the eyes, “Do you follow the masked one that they call The Eternal? Are they your Master?”

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

"Peaceful Sith? Sometimes, for a time. Though being Sith can be about much more than that. Such as survival, the gathering of spiritual knowledge, or... deeper subjects sometimes beyond a Force Blinds understanding," she added. The last part was about her hunger. They could perhaps understand, but it was possible the deeper aspect was beyond their understanding due to the lack of experience.

Maybe the ability to sense it on a spiritual level gave a Force sensitive a better understanding. Though even those that sense it may never be able to understand the need that leashed her so hopelessly to her hunger.

She listened to his next questions. Was she part of the Sith Eternal? "My name is on the Orders registry." Her Sith name was anyway.

Then he asked the next question. It was not an issue until he used the word Master. That one, single word cracked her mask from top to bottom for a handful of quickened heartbeats. "No one is my master," she said flatly.

The crack mended somewhat after a moment. "But you are my Count." Another thought occurred to her and she nodded as she contuined, "And I care for Serreno and it's people. That's why I'm here."

She was actually a Serenno citizen by blood. She was born here, though she hadn't dared to do a trace on her actual bloodline. Had that all subconsciously manifested in her approach to this planet? Was that why she wasn't simply forcing the Count? No. It couldn't be. Malicia cared little about the planets she conquered. This one just felt... a little different.

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Peace was a means to an end for a Sith, as he understood it, and he could understand that quite well as it fit well with statecraft. When you were in charge of a planet, everything was a tool either for you or against you. War might very well destroy your planet, after all, or it could smooth over domestic issues or refill your treasury. Peace was so very similar to war in that regard – something to be used to your advantage and discarded if it ever became an obstacle.

Though she wasn’t wrong – he wasn’t able to use the Force so he knew there were unknowns, things he could never truly understand. That worried him. If he was going to use something as a tool to better himself and his planet, he wanted to make sure he knew what it was capable of doing.

“The Force is said to be a gateway to many abilities deemed to be unnatural and hidden.” He noted with a small frown as he eyed her, taking another sip of his whiskey, “I don’t deal in things that hide their nature from me, Lillian. If I am to make a decision that impacts billions, I must do so with a level of understanding beyond ‘maddeningly vague’. What can you offer me? What can you offer Serenno?”

There was a moment, just a moment, where he thought he saw her, really saw her, beyond the calm and beyond her composure. She bristled almost violently at the idea that someone was the Master of her and he was encouraged by that. Rather than being disturbed, he leaned forward instead, focusing intently on her.

“Serenno does not follow.” He ground out in a low voice, “That is what Count Dooku inspired within us – the Will to never let ourselves set our pride aside. To be leaders and not followers. You speak of wanting the best for Serenno, of being for us, but can you assure me that you follow no one? That you are Mastered by no one?”

Ramil was fiercely independent and Serenno was the same – they had been part of ancient empires and domains before and it always turned out the same. Empires came and went and they tried, every time, to dominate Serenno.

Well, Serenno had outlasted all of the old Empires that had foolishly believed that it belonged to them.

@Dread

 

[Darth Malicia]

He spoke of hiding nature, of wanting more understanding. She needed a moment to think on that because she was not speaking to another Sith, a Jedi or a sensitive that didn't quite understand. She was speaking to an actual Force blind about the Force. While she had never went out of her way to degrade a Force blind, they were always side notes to her. Either her servants, food or things to manipulate, even her Serreno "father". This again was a new experience for the small Darth.

Before she could answer he leaned forward and what he said actually surprised her enough to show on her face. His following words caused her to frown, again. Maybe he'd picked up on the slip and now he was digging in, though she didn't sense that he was lying. It was odd. Feeling some sort of connection between her own beliefs and Serreno's.

She finally spoke, "I'm not mastered. The Eternal may bark whatever order it wants, but I choose what I listen to." This was also odd, speaking frankly but not frankly. She pushed aside the thought and continued, "That is not to say it is a creature to be trifled with. It could very well kill me, though there is a chance that it may not walk away if we ever clashed, and we will clash if tries to control me. The Eternal is smart enough to know that."

That was how she viewed their 'relationship'. She expanded Sith influence and territory and it didn't interfere.

"Truth be told, Your Grace, what I offer comes in multiple layers," she said, placing down the drink. "Sith space is expanding this way. It is only a matter of time before Serreno is swallowed up. I can make sure it isn't forcibly swallowed, that it is in a position of power far beyond those around and that its ruler by blood stays in control, as it should be. My mere presence accomplishes part of that."

Her eyes were locked with his now, and she felt as if her mask was half-off. She didn't look disturbed regardless, her look was rather cold and distant than what it was before. "What I can tell you is that the Force is too complex to summarize easily. But what you might fear is my ability to dig into minds, to extract information and either destroy or leave the mind intact. On the same vein, I can make someone do as I wish with a suggestion and a small exertion of the Force. I can sense emotions. I can lay waste to armies without moving from place."

Lilian's words lingered there a moment, but her face softened somewhat after. "But I would use none on you, nor lay waste to armies in front of you if it made you uncomfortable, Your Grace. I sit here in proof of that."

@Nefieslab

 

[Ramil Serenno]

Ramil watched as she thought about how best to answer the questions he had forced her to consider, how she could explain how she and the Force could be useful to him and Serenno. It was a difficult task in some ways and easy in others; he was practical enough to accept a list of things she could do, even, should it come down to it. And his research into the powers of Count Dooku had made everything seem slightly clearer to him even if he couldn’t feel them himself.

But she focused on The Eternal as he had expected.

It hurt her pride to be underneath anyone’s control even if it was as loose as she believed it to be – which he did not. From what the Galaxy knew of The Eternal, they were a powerful Dark Side Force User who commanded the loyalty and fealty of the Sith Eternal. Begrudgingly bowing was the same as bowing to Ramil, even though he could understand that sometimes bowing was required to live. Still…

“Yet you expand with its banner, its reputation and its resources – its people.” He frowned ever so slightly, “You’ll have to forgive me, Lilian, but it certainly looks as though the noose is tighter than you would have me believe. That you seem intent on slipping it is a good sign.”

But was it enough?

And then the threats came.

Oh they were worded carefully but they were threats all the same. The idea that an invasion would come, unless he agreed to her terms was boldly laid out in front of him and he narrowed his eyes slightly. The follow up with the mention of the nebulous ‘mind arts’ was equally as threatening though she did slightly better at dissuading him of the notion than others might have. His brow furrowed as he watched her.

“You are not very practiced at diplomacy, are you Lilian?” he asked, raising his right eyebrow slowly as he did so, “It usually involves fewer naked threats and more veiled ones. If you hope to continue said expansion without unnecessary bloodshed, you’ll need to make time to learn.”

Leaning back in his seat, Ramil came to a decision.

“Serenno will join, with some conditions.” He decided at length, “It shall be a secret alliance firstly – the rest of the Galaxy will not know the extent of our partnership. Secondly – we will be watching for, and we shall assist in, any moves to either break away from The Eternal or replace them. If they do not occur? We shall look to readdress our alliance. We do not kneel to madness, Lilian. Lastly?”

He eyed her for a moment before sighing, appearing tired for the first time despite not having had much rest in the last couple of days. His exhaustion had been hidden well because of necessity, because of the image he needed to maintain.

“Our courtship shall be ending here, Lilian. I am open to a military and economic alliance in secret because it suits Serenno – but being married to someone requires more than that, to my mind. I’m sorry.”

And he was, he had been starting to see something in her but now? Ramil refused to grant someone access to the throne of Serenno like that, not when they were not in full control and not when their focus would be pulled away from the planet constantly. He had a duty to his people and he was resolved to see it through.

@Dread