Ask Mustafar The Queen and the Pauper

[Nevizkas]

The 'exciting' challenge had ended almost as soon as it began, rendering the rest of the night into a small social gathering. Cyutadakyr hadn't the time to properly rest or prepare herself for what was to come, be that as it may. The long, treacherous journey from that fateful day had taken its toll on the pureblood in more ways than one, the scars lingered both in flesh and the mind.

It wouldn't be difficult for those looking to see these, nor would she try to hide them.

Standing alone in the throne room, Cyu felt the cool air bristle against her skin, a stark contrast from the overbearing heat just metres away outside. She'd relived that moment a thousand times over, the charm, the confidence and wit she held before the first break. Shattered under the vice-like grip of someone so powerful, and yet so mysterious.

After this dressing down, Cyu thought, she badly needed a vacation.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

It was no mystery that Tempest was immensely displeased. While she fought and was nearly killed on Ailon, her own followers had attempted to capitalize upon the chaos of Kashyyyk - resulting in one of their most embarrassing failures since being exiled from the Order. With two Champions and an Acolyte captured, it placed placed their security and integrity at risk. If the wider Galaxy was made away of Sith holdings, it would only be a matter of time before the Jedi or other groups came marching to their doorstep.

It wasn’t entirely clear how Cyu had escaped her captivity - what she had revealed in the process, or what had become of her allies. Information from surviving troops indicated that the Pureblood wasn’t entirely at fault for the catastrophe, and it was among the primary reasons for the Pureblood’s continued longevity. Nevertheless, the Dark Lord had every intention of questioning the Champion for herself.

Cyu wouldn’t be left alone within the throne room for very long. Durasteel doors hissed and opened wide - revealing the cloaked figure of Tempest striding forth. Both hands remained knitted against the palm of her back, a presence within the Force manifesting as palpable weight that pressed upon the Pureblood’s chest and breath.

She made no attempt to ascend her throne - coming to a halt just before the woman brought in for questioning. There was no intention to prolong their little interrogation.

“You will explain precisely what occurred on Kashyyyk and after, and your part in it.” She said flatly. The Dark Lord had every ability to reach into the Pureblood’s mind and take the information she needed, and yet gave type woman an opportunity to speak regardless.

“Beginning with the whereabouts of your companions.”

 

[Nevizkas]

It wasn't that Cyutadakyr expected any sympathy, for there would be none. Awaiting in silence no longer, the doors flung open and began a dangerous game. The immense presence that Tempest commanded, bearing down on the pureblood, increased, as the lord had come for her due. And the weight, both physical and mental, took its toll immediately.

"Jen'ari" she respectfully bowed, speaking the lord's title in its original tongue. Addressing the proverbial elephant in the room, they were to begin with those who weren't. "Both have abandoned us, lord." There was simply no easy way to say it. "The former Champion does not believe in the ideal of an Order and will serve only herself." How poetically stupid, Cyu thought. Even the mightiest of the living Sith did not pursue his goals alone.

"The former Acolyte betrayed us, and defected to either the Jedi or the Empire. It is unclear which, but perhaps it explains what I will speak to next." Cyu rested her arms at her side, continuing her report.

"The plan, as we arranged it, was to land the transport on the outskirts of a Wookiee village, take any Jedi by surprise before abducting the inhabitants." But often plans change when coming into contact with the enemy. "Not only were the Jedi waiting for us to arrive, but among the most powerful members of their Order stood in our way." Not that Cyu knew many, if any, by name, but the most famous, she too would recognise their power.

"The Acolyte ignored the plan, choosing to make a loud and direct attack, which in turn reduced our options for deception. This infuriated the Champion, who then promptly lashed out and attacked the Acolyte." It certainly painted the Sith in a poor light, but after all, they were their own artist. "Rather than abandoning the mission in spite of this, I recognised that we remained still, the best way for the Jedi and the inhabitants to survive the ongoing attack. I aimed to convince the weaker of the two Jedi of this, and secure the cargo regardless of the ineptitude of my companions."

In her mind, Cyu, perhaps foolishly, placed faith in the Jedi's nature to protect the Wookies above their own personal satisfaction of fighting the Sith. It may have even worked, potentially, if not for the aggressive one putting an end to her machinations.

"The Jedi I speak of was none other than Ezra Thorne, although more powerful than I, I did sense that he might be willing to negotiate. The Dathomirian one however, whose presence in the force perhaps matches your own my lord, I did not know." Cyutadakyr grazed her arm with fingertips bared, as if reliving the moment.

"She did not fight like a Jedi, but more like a Sith. She attacked me before I could complete my snare with the other. In seconds, all four of my limbs were snapped, and my body discarded into a raging inferno. That is all I can recall of the fight."

What happened in between was still something of a mystery, although the results spoke for themselves. "I awoke some time later in Imperial custody, medically recovered, but in chains. I discovered the Champion with me, but the Acolyte was nowhere to be found." That part was still a little hazy for the pureblood, considering the strong drugs that had been coursing through her system, both for the recovery and the interrogation.

"The Empire discarded us on some forgotten planet in the Outer Rim once they realised they could not extract intelligence. I later found and removed a hidden biological tracker that had been implanted in my arm, which is perhaps why we were so easily released."

It had been a difficult path home, but she'd made it. Whether it mattered what she'd said or not, was entirely up to the Dark Lord's discretion.

"After that it was just a matter of finding the right ships or marks, to make the journey here." That was the truth of it, the way Cyutadakyr saw it.

@Altaris