Private A Call from on High

[Darth Strosius]

His brow furrowed at that, his head tilting to the side slightly as he looked back at the Dark Lord in confusion. It was such an oddly casual statement and yet the implication of such a remark was rather grand. For a moment he even wondered if it was some sort of joke. He highly doubted that such a thing was a joke given all that he had seen thus far though. "...I see." If the claim was anywhere near a serious one, then Alisteri was very interested to see this Athenaeum. A repository supposedly full of all Sith knowledge was a large boast, even with the scope of the Malsheem in mind.

The variety in knowledge made sense, there was little point in only hoarding one section of literature and understanding after all. Context and other perspectives were key in crafting true understanding. However one of the Athenaeum's categories stood out to him. "Jedi scripture?" In truth he was just as surprised to hear that the Jedi actually bothered to write anything down as much as it surprised him that any of said writings were available. "What would you need those for? The ramblings and falsehoods of those chained whelps have little in the way of use I'm sure. Other than kindling maybe." He saw little point in gathering knowledge from a faulty source.

When the tram's doors opened his gaze snapped to the inscribed and decorated door, sweeping over and appreciating the crafting of it all. He could only imagine what sort of skilled artisans had made the inscriptions. If he ever had the opportunity, and the credits, he would have to see about hiring some people to carve up some displays at the little altars and the cathedral on the Altorius. They certainly made the door look official and grand at any rate. Unfortunately it was retracting by the time that he had managed to glance over the entirety of the detailed inscriptions.

He moved forward after the doors had slid open fully and his breath left him at the sight of the Athenaeum as he stepped through the doorway. The vast shelves awe inspiring alone but their contents were what truly amazed him. So much information all laid out before his very eyes. "It's...just as impressive as the rest of the Malsheem." It seemed as if each area of the massive vessel had more to offer than the last, probably by design if he had to guess. How could the empire Carnifex build have ever fallen with such a library? Or did anyone except the Dark Lord's chosen few have access at all? A part of him knew the answer, in terms of the past at least. The present and future were unsure.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"To destroy an enemy, one must study them." The Dark Lord then offered an explanation for why His library would contain the scriptures of the Jedi Order, His most vehemently despised foe. "When we peer into the writings of the Jedi Order, we are not seeking to emulate their ways or rationalize what they believe. We seek to understand how they think, analyze their thought patterns from the texts of their ancestors and contemporaries. When you can peer inside the mind of the entire Order, you can identify its weaknesses and begin to dismantle it piece by piece."

The Dark Lord reached into the confines of His garments and produced a small silver device, measuring about an inch in length and half an inch across. Though comically small in the Dark Lord's hands, it appeared more reasonable once He had handed it off to Alisteri. "This access totem will allow you to peruse my collection, I give it to you in good faith that you will use it wisely. Should any of the librarians approach you, you need only show them the totem, and they will obey your commands." This indicated that those who maintained the library were not entirely sentient, or perhaps not even entirely organic. Though they only have a few sparing glimpses of them, their hooded statures lent credence to this line of thought.

"You may even share this knowledge with your flock, if you so deem. The belief of the Sith must be spread throughout the galaxy at its lowest rungs. When we have control over the masses, we can undermine those ruling at the top."

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Despite his initial, and still present, reservations on gathering Jedi writings the explanation of the Dark Lord was one that he understood and could accept. While he didn't see much of a need to study the weaknesses of an order as corrupt and hypocritical as the Jedi, he did get the idea behind it. Knowing more about an old and present enemy never hurt. Especially in a disadvantaged position like the one that the Sith now occupied. Alisteri could only hope those poor souls that had to study the texts of the Jedi to gleam more insight to their weaknesses and falsehoods were compensated well for their efforts. "Point conceded."

The masked man took a small step back as he noticed the Dark Lord reaching into his garments, eyeing the device that was soon produced from them warily for a moment before he realized that he was meant to take it. He plucked the device from the other Sith's hand and turned it over to inspect it for a moment as he listened and learned of its apparent purpose. Free access to such a large and expansive library was simply too good of an opportunity to turn down, even if it was coming from someone like Carnifex. For that reason he chose not to dwell too long on the implications of the librarians and simply nod to show his understanding. The access totem was clutched in his hand tightly, as if he were afraid that it would rip itself away and become lost to him forever. He intended to use it to the fullest extent that he could manage.

"You know, when you say it like that it almost makes me think that someone has told you of my sermons. Told you exactly what I would want to hear." Alisteri glanced up at the Dark Lord for a moment, suspicion evident in his tone, before turning back to look at the shelves of the Athenaeum and seeming to drop any hostility. "I thank you for this opportunity. I believe I have much reading to do if I am to truly make use of this totem. Is there anything else I should know before I am turned loose upon your archives?"

Darth Carnifex