Ask What Lies Beyond?

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Sah’ra sat patiently in the starport of Coruscant watching as the ebbing crowd made their way to and from the multitude of shuttles, both arriving and departing, as she waited for her dear brother to return with a rented speeder. It had been years since she had been to her homeworld but as it was with the metropolis world, little had changed. The terrorist attack against the Sector Ranger HQ had become all but a memory to the citizens of Coruscant and while it undoubtedly left it’s scars on both the people of the Republic and Free World Alliance, it would seem as though it was time to move on. Because of this, Sah’ra felt perfectly at ease coming home. Relatively unknown amongst the Sith, her face would not need to be hidden and she would not be dressed in her typical black robes but instead dressed as a civilian. Unarmed, unassuming, she would blend into the crowd spectacularly well.

What had brought her here, of course, was knowledge. In her seclusion on Teth, syphering through the ancient texts of her ancestor, she had found mention of an age-old autocracy that existed beyond the edges of known space. Isolationists, perfectly comfortable sitting back and watching the events of the greater galaxy unfold from their own worlds. She could not deny the gnawing curiosity that had consumed her since discovering the excerpt, and this was further provoked when she had learned that a member of the same species had not only been outcasted from the outsider collective but had been indoctrinated into the Sith Order. This was a stroke of luck that she simply could not allow to pass her by.

”Took you long enough,” Sah’ra hissed at her brother as she slipped into the passenger seat of the rented speeder upon his arrival, receiving only a grunt in return. Of course, she preferred it this way. He used to talk too damn much. Taking his tongue for the ritual, even if it was a failure, was a blessing in disguise it seemed.

It would not take long before the siblings arrived at the warehouse that was indicated to belong to her fellow Marauder. It was unassuming with little foot traffic, and ideally situated deep in the Industrial Sector. Realizing that her father's underground lab was only a short distance away, Sah'ra would dismiss the thoughts of paying him a visit. After all, he was likely to wrapped up with his work and the clone girl to even care of their return. No, as she gazed upon the warehouse she knew that this visit must be strictly business.

”Come along, brother. I may need you if this goes south,” Sah’ra commanded of her mute sibling as she stood from the speeder and made her way to the entrance. Waving her hand across the terminal, the tumblers of the locks would shift and soon the door would slide open, granting Tren and herself entrance.

”Anybody home?” she would call out, cautious with her first few steps inside though with Tren at her back and her own capabilities, there was little here that could prove to be a true threat, with her lightsaber or not.

@Scoobert​

 

[Lucifer Starck]

Lucifer was expecting company over. A fellow Sith, she seemed to be interested in something so of course, the half blood Chiss would prepare for her. Using a nearby underground warehouse, he would prepare to meet with the Sith Sah'ra. Hopefully she didn't try anything funny. The Starck Mafia was ready to take down force wielding opponents.

"Alright boys now we wait."

The Starcks Mob had just been waiting for hours until the guest of honor would arrive. She was slightly late, better be a good reason for wasting Lucifer's time. Maybe even a house warming gift. Something to show that they were truly sorry for being late. Definitely a shameful act to do.

When she had finally arrived there was a call out so of course Lucifer would call out as well, but from the desk he was sitting at. A bowl of spaghetti was sat in front of him and he was beginning to eat.

"Yes, please do keep walking straight and take the last left."

Within the dark isles of the shelves would be guards posted with the new heat they bought. Definitely some good stuff. When she arrived she would see Lucifer sat at his desk, Maurian leaned against a cage wall, and Tohnii standing behind Lucifer.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

The voice called out to her from the opposite side of the warehouse as Sah’ra slowly made her way inside. While she was confident that both her and her brother would face no dangers within the building, it was not guaranteed. With each step, each passing each row of shelves, Sah’ra would spot collections of guards at the ready but even so, she did not falter. Paranoia was an ever present attribute within the Order, though out of necessity. With what she had come to propose to this man, it was not something to be so quickly dismissed and fully believed he would first hear her out before making any rash decisions. If there was anything she knew as a whole and complete truth of the Sith; power is taken, not given. Power can only be acquired by going out and finding it, not sitting within a warehouse or a library waiting for it to come to you.

Finally, she would approach the turn around the shelf that the man had indicated and saw not only him but two more of his own bodyguards. As the man sat at his desk, slurping back noodles, Sah’ra couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow with a baffled smirk.

”It seems I’ve interrupted your dinner. Are you that busy of a man or just piss poor at managing your appointment holo?” she chuckled. Behind Starck were two bodyguards, each with a brand new heavy rifle strapped across their chests. Naturally, neither of the two men took kindly to her introduction which warranted a low and deep rumble from Tren at her back. While Lucifer’s bodyguards were not small men by any means, her own brother was a brute by comparison. Certainly they could shoot him and he would die, but it would take more than a couple rounds to put him down. Still, Sah’ra preferred if this meeting did not devolve into violence. Raising her hand to silence her brother, the woman took slow strides and sat herself across from Starck, staring into his glowing red eyes. ”How strange,” she would think to herself.

”I didn’t realize my brother and I warranted such a protection escort,” Sah’ra would continue as she crossed her legs, both hands interlocked opposite Starck and his bowl of noodles. Not once did her eyes defer to the guards at the man’s back, instead remaining locked on his own. Smiling, she would pause for a moment to allow him to finish his mouthful of dinner. ”My name is Sah’ra Ryun. This is my brother Tren. And you must be,” Lifting her right pointer finger from her wrapped hands, she would aim it at the Chiss while closing one eye to pretend to be recalling his name carefully, though it was clear to be in sarcastic jest. ”Lucifer Starck, correct?”

@Scoobert​

 

[Lucifer Starck]

Finishing his meal he would lean back in his seat and sarcastically smirk at the woman who was being quite the guest by being sarcastic and a smart ass. Lucifer has dealt with individuals like this one, and would gladly do it all over again, but not after a meal. He prefers to relax after, possibly drink wine. Sharing with the guest would be ideal as a host, but they decided to be a little disrespectful from the start, so no wine for them.

"Yes, Lucifer Starck. It's a pleasure.. to meet you and your brother. Now why have you come here exactly? I need clarification. So does my crew."

Lucifer had his lackeys step back with the wave of his hand. Comfort was an ideal thing to have at the least. After all, they are in a warehouse used as a cover. Not really the best but not the worst. Just a good place to store his goods and have guards on at all times.

As for the doyal and her big goon of a brother, he was curious as to what they had in mind. Hopefully whatever it was, it was worth the time and trouble of coming all the way out to Coruscant for. Especially since it's deep in the New Republic territory. The only reason he set up shop in this area was because he is hiding in plane sight. The smartest of moves.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Lucifer waved his guards back but Sah’ra paid it no mind. Even if they had remained at his side and prepared to gun them down in a moment's notice, she had a great deal of faith in both herself and Tren. Still, it was a sign of hospitality and was not one she would deny the man credit for. Whether that hospitality would remain, however, remained to be seen.

”Clarification is what has brought me here, actually,” Sah’ra would continue, her hands remaining interlocked on the edge of Starck’s desk. She had done her homework on the man, or rather his family, but there were pieces of the puzzle still amiss. ”I’ve found myself… intrigued by you, Starck. Not so much by who you are, but by what you are,” Pausing for only a moment, as though she was waiting for the man to reply, she would continue before he had the chance.

”You know only too well that your father was a wealthy man. Little influence, being the owner of a shipping company, but financially he was quite well off,” Sah’ra smirked once more as she scanned the space of the warehouse before her before turning back to the half-Chiss. ”You seem to be putting daddy’s money to use, of course. Whether or not it’s of good use, who can say,” She knew she was dancing dangerously close to agitating the man but he seemed level headed enough to understand innocent banter.

”Your mother, however, remains a mystery to me. Of course, since your father is a human like myself, and you clearly are not, it only further drives my curiosity,” By now, Sah’ra had a serious demeanor. She was starting to touch on what had brought her here, perhaps a bit earlier than she would have hoped but it was clear that Lucifer was not one for small talk. ”Tell me, is she still alive, your mother?”

@Scoobert​

 

[Lucifer Starck]

"Hey broad, shut your mouth! You don't speak of his kriffin parents!"

"Tohnii, it's fine. She doesn't know."

Lucifer leaned forward onto his desk and sighed heavily. Then he looked to the rude guest that entered his warehouse. What did this woman want with his mother? Why was she looking into his past? Only one way to find out for sure, just go ahead and ask her what the deal was that she needed to know the location of his mother.

"Well if you're looking to find my mother.. you can look on Ansion. She's buried six feet deep in the family cemetery. Tell me, why did you need to know?"

Tohnii had leaned back against the cage as he would glared through the Sith across from Lucifer. Maurian was much the same, but Lucifer himself had been calm. Disappointed, but calm. He was trying not to lose his temper and force choke this woman as his boys lit her brother up in blaster fire.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Sah’ra’s gaze diverted momentarily to the guard at Lucifer’s back, the outburst spurring a soft smile to her lips. Tren, on the other hand, growled deeply towards the man known as Tohnii but as his sister glanced back at him over her shoulder, he quieted down save for the curling of his lips to reveal his stark white teeth behind them. Of course Sah’ra understood that not everyone was eager to speak of their family. Her own father was something of a sensitive subject for herself but alas, it was his mother and her origins that had brought her to this meeting with Starck. It was an uncomfortable fact that would require careful maneuvering around but one that needed to be addressed all the same.

”I’m sorry to hear it,” Sah’ra finally replied as she turned her attention back to her host. ”For what it’s worth, my own mother has long left us as well. Even so, dead or not, your mother is why I am here, or rather...” Sah’ra reached into the small hand bag she carried and produced an ancient holo projector that she had found during her time on Teth. Placing it on the desk between them, she would activate the image for all of those present to see. Illuminating the desk in a blue glow was the levitating image of her ancient ancestor.

”...where she comes from. As you can see, this is an ancient Sith recording I’ve discovered some time back,”

”After encountering the scout of the Chiss Ascendency, I’ve discovered that they possess something similar in appearance to our own empire beyond the edges of known space. Ruled by Nine influential families and isolated by nature, they’ve been exploring much of our galaxy in search of allies and information. While the scout was not forthcoming with the location of their territory, he did offer our own leaders an opportunity to meet with his own superiors in hopes of establishing a relationship between us,”

The recording faltered with static before withdrawing to the projector, leaving Sah’ra with a gaze of anticipation.

”You are Chiss, as was your mother. While I’m not certain as to why she was living amongst our people rather than her own, it has left me with a gnawing curiosity of where this ‘Ascendency’ lies. I’ve come with hopes that you could enlighten me, perhaps travel with me should it’s location become clear,”

@Scoobert​

 

[Lucifer Starck]

Was she speaking of Csilla? It's a dangerous trip to get there. Not to mention the people of Csilla, the Chiss, they don't take too kindly to outsiders. What makes this woman believe that Lucifer will have any luck with the Chiss on Csilla? He's only half blood. Hell his name isn't even traditional. The natives will eat him alive, metaphorically.

"You want me to go to Csilla? Look, they will outcast me faster than you can say your name. What makes you think YOU going will have any different outcome?"

Lucifer stood, showing annoyance, and looking directly into Sah'ras eyes. Taking in a deep breath he would close his eyes then open them back on on Sah'ra.

"It's a rough journey.. if I am to go, I need quite a bit of compensation, or other things to bring me joy in this whole shenanigans run."

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Of course Sah’ra knew that as an outsider, she would not be welcome. That much was obvious and it was something she was prepared for. Long ago, when the first explorers of the galaxy embarked out into the voids of space, they took similar risks and did so willingly. Without risks, there was little to be gained. Perhaps Lucifer wasn’t as ambitious as she had hoped…

”Compensation?” Sah’ra’s smile vanished, replaced with a look of bewilderment as one of her eyebrows arced upwards. Sah’ra was not a wealthy woman, nor was she willing to part with any of the heirlooms she had recovered from Teth. As to what he meant by ‘other things’... Well, who knows what he meant but he would find himself left disappointed regardless. ”Perhaps I’ve misjudged you, Starck,” Sah’ra continued, her tone clearly expressing that he seemingly let her down. ”I had come here with hopes that you were a Sith. A man with ambitions. I see now that you’re no more than a thug in a suit. No matter. You were merely my first stop, the easiest path before me. I have other options for tracking down their location,” No, there would be no compensation. His compensation was the opportunity that few Sith had ever had. If that was not enough, to hell with him.

Pushing herself up from the desk after collecting the recording, Sah’ra turned back to her brother and motioned for him to depart. As she did, the Force pooled around her. Not with the intent of causing harm or damage but purely to defend herself should the man decide to try anything foolish. If he tried anything, she was fully prepared.

@Scoobert​

 

[Lucifer Starck]

She expected him to go for free? The hell kind of offer is that? Any man in their right minds would need some sort of compensation before risking their neck flying through unknown space and landing on a planet where the natives want you gone. Now she plans to make it to his mother's home world after getting his interest in the planet? Lucifer had to make a decision quick. Though he didn't want to look weak. He wasn't weak.

"Stop.."

He would stand as he would give the other Sith time to give a chirp of some sort. The guards would move in the way of Sah'ra and her brother before they could leave Lucifer's sight.

"I will go.. on one condition. I want credit for this journey. If I can convince the natives of my mother's home to join the Sith... I want my name to be the one the Sith remember. No money.. no troops.. no allegiance. Allow me to have my name on the possible accomplishment and we have a deal."

Whether she agreed or not wasn't going to matter. Lucifer was interested in this now. If he had to go in secret to get the natives to join with him.. then so be it. He is determined to get what he wants.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

“Stop…”

Sah’ra’s eyes both closed as a devilish grin formed on her face, still aimed towards the doorway and the two guards that had moved to intercept Tren and her departure from the warehouse. Men were all the same, it seemed. It did not matter who they were, where they came from. There were always three ways to manipulate a man into doing what a woman wanted; Provocative advances, calling his honor, authority and power into question, and food. And while Starck had not made it explicitly clear that it was her statement that had spurred him into becoming agreeable, little else could explain the sudden shift in his demeanor.

There would be no quip, no smart mouthed commentary despite her strong desire to do so. No, she had accomplished what she had come here to do. Of course, then there were Starck’s terms. Turning to face the half Chiss, Sah’ra crossed her arms at her midsection and smiled. She said nothing in response, merely standing still for a moment before nodding her head forward, tilted slightly to the left. It would appear that she agreed to his terms.

”I’m glad to hear you’ve changed your mind, Starck,” Sah’ra would finally respond, Tren towering behind her. ”My brother and I will return home and collect everything we will need and to prepare our ship. In a week's time, you will receive coordinates and once we have come together, we can depart. And Starck,” Sah’ra paused for a moment to lock her eyes with his of crimson. ”Do come alone. Best we not need to feed half a dozen mouths during our voyage,”

With that, Sah’ra raised her hand and motioned for Tren to continue on. The brute of a brother would turn and place a hand on shoulders of both of the guards that had intercepted then and shoved them aside before moving past. Sah’ra, walking between them, offered them both a polite smile as well as a hand on their chest plates with a sort of silent apology before continuing after her brother.

/EXIT THREAD

@Scoobert​