A Murder of Crows [Sith Assassins] (PM to Join)

[Xevek Nekonis]

A newly opened hotspot with the night life of Nar Shaddaa, popular from the fact that the newly opened business still held the novelty of being something new, sat near the top of one of the many spires that forced their way through the thick atmosphere of the moon-city and was adorned with numerous flashing, neon lights. Due to its location being far and away from the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa, the bar and casino hybrid - named The Black Adder, sought to establish an air to suit high rollers and well off patrons and, as such, as one would approach the Adder, they would bear witness to clean surfaces barren of grim, grand decor and entertainment - gambling, drink and dancers - advertised openly so as to lure in those with large amounts of credits.

Walking into the main floor of The Black Adder, one would be washed over by smooth purple and pink as lights shone down onto the wide open area from the ceiling a floor above. On prime display was a circular bar that stretched to the ceiling, the silhouettes of dancers visible on the topmost fraction. Along the majority of the walls were seats, both singular and booths, while a dance floor stood off to one side, a steady, pounding beat echoing from there. On the floor above, further seating could be found along with a couple of smaller bars, however, the main attraction, was the casino; games of chance from roulette to pazaak ready to play.

Spoiler

If one could pay enough to the bouncers at the stairs of the second floor, they would find themselves in a much more subdued and private environment. Music lacking such a heavy beat as down bellow would seep from unseen speakers and pink and purple gave way to blue. The room, while much smaller, held a more luxurious feel and was surrounded on all sides by windows that showed the ever alive city of Nar Shaddaa bellow. Once more, a circular bar stood dead center, some dancers in glass cylinders atop of the bar while others prowled the floor, moving between the tables that were spread out in concentric circles.

Spoiler

However, there was a space kept from the public eye, kept from the highest of high rollers. The recent popularity from the new opening was carefully chosen to occur at that time, for within the rush of people that filled the taxi dock and floors, very few noticed the odd figures that would seemingly glide through shadows and vanish from view. For bellow the main floor of the Black Adder, accessible through a lift that required a specific code along with vocal, password and iris identification to access and use, was a room reserved for the true owners of The Black Adder, the true VIPs of the establishment: The Sith Assassins.

Quiet, isolated from the noise above and possessing a lot more class, the VIP room was wide open and spacious. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glass and chrome divers were set throughout the room, as were black leather settees, while black blinds covered the thick, armoured windows. Of to the side sat a self-serve bar stocked with fine wines, whiskies and other assortments of alcohol. On an upper level that loomed over only a small side section of the room, was a large table surrounded by leather seat with a holoprojector set dead center. Of to the side of the lift, a door could be found beyond which sat an armoury; a similar set up could be found on the other end of the room.

Spoiler

In one of those seats sat a darkly tanned Zabrak with long, ashen hair, a single amber eye and a cybernetic arm dressed in a white shirt beneath an open black waistcoat and black slacks. A robe was carefully hanging over the railing that ran around the suspended upper level beside him, a durasteel sword laying on the ground beneath it.

After swirling the amber liquid in his tumbler for a moment, Darth Lykos knocked back the remaining whiskey before setting the tumbler down atop the smooth surface of the table. The call had gone out with instructions and directions and all Assassins had received it. The Sith Assassins were making their returnto the galaxy, but, first, a meeting. And so, Darth Lykos sat and waited to see who would be joining him in the stronghold he had worked to ... acquire.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"You've gotten yourself quite the place haven't ya. Certainly isn't the deserts of Iridonia." From the elevator came a familiar voice to [member="Darth Lykos"] and many of the Assassins. The Red Assassin, War, Krest. Oh how plain his name felt compared to the others, but it was either that or resort to using his tainted name, which he had no desire to do. He was dressed as a common folk, jeans and a tee, and he didn't have any visible weapons on his person. Naturally this didn't mean anything given the metal right arm in plain view.

"How'd you end up getting this place?" He spoke with a wide grin, making his way over to his fellow Iridonian before plopping down on a stool and waving over a similar drink. Whiskey, ah, nectar of the gods. Well, if there were gods. Through the Force he would lift up the bottle and a glass, filling it up before finally grabbing the glass cup himself and taking a sip. "And damn, are these cups made of diamond or something?"

 

[Leliana]

The past few days had to say the least been a whirlwind for the newest Sith Assassin.

After breaking out of the facility and summarily seeing to its destruction with everyone else in it, Leliana had thought it might have been enough, but she should've known better. As not longer after meeting [member="Darth Ophidia"] face-to-face for the first time, she was thrown into what felt like another twenty years of training within the matter of days.

Even now after having time to recuperate, Leliana's body was still aching all over. Case in point, she was walking with a slight limp in her right leg, though she made an effort to disguise it as she strode into and through The Black Adder. Leliana was dressed in her usual attire, attracting a few looks as she passed a number of patrons, who simply returned to what they were occupied with when she seemed to disappear into the shadows. She was unrecognizible, no one other than those who died in the facility had seen her dressed in this before. And while she adored the clothing, Leliana had every intention of properly kitting herself before embarking on her first proper mission under the Sith Assassins.

Eventually Leliana managed to reach the elevator, inputing the correct information as Ophidia had instructed. Her Master had informed her about the gathering, told her that everything had been set up to allow her to access the meeting point. As the elevator descended, Leliana let out a shaky breath, letting out the tension that had been building up. She was about to potentially meet a number of other Sith Assassins, most likely powerful in the Force; something which the young human had only been properly introduced to days ago.

That had been a particularly bitter pill to swallow. To learn that throughout her years training, she had never been taught to use her potential in the Force, beyond just instinct that had been naturally nurtured. If she could, she'd find someway to resurrect her old instructors to kill them again because of that.

As the elevator finally stopped, Leliana took a deep breath and schooled her features. Any evidence of her prior emotion was hidden beneath practiced ease; a mask of neutrality.

The doors slid open and she walked forwards.

[member="Darth Lykos"] | [member="Krest"]​

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

The sound of an ever so familiar voice cutting across the silence of the large room drew Lykos out from the depth of his thoughts, breaking his concentration, pulling him from his memories and slamming him sharply into the present. Pulled from his recollections and musings as sharply as he was - and recognising no sense of threat within the Force as well as subconsciously acknowledging the fact that he was hearing and scenting no hurried approaches - the White Assassins response could almost be considered sluggish as he slowly pulled his amber gaze away from his empty tumbler and turned it towards the red-skinned form of his fellow Zabrak. A lazy blink would follow suit as Lykos slowly, sedately, tracked the mans approach, no words leaving his mouth as he watched a drink be poured and a body slump down into a seat.

Krest. The Red Assassin. The Aspect of War. Iridonian, though not of the planet Iridonia but of the warrior people. Aged but still dangerous. Formerly Darth Ferox, or Ferus, but no longer after the usurper, who Lykos had had plenty of contact with after the usurper had taken Krest's place among the Assassins. Currently dressed in simple civilian wear - Lykos idly noted that the clothes were too low class to have blended in with the crowds above - with no weapon visible. Although, that was discounting the cybernetic arm that had inspired Lykos' own, for, after all, both concealed a blade.

All of the information that Lykos could recall on the Aspect of War had ran through his head in the short silence that had followed Krest's comment on diamond cups, the quiet only broken by the steady tap of one of the Unseen Shadow's cybernetic fingers as the matt black digit was steadily falling upon the glass surface of the table. However, the quite only had the chance to exist for barely ten seconds before Lykos' gruff voice would rumble out from between his lips, accompanied by a slight chuckle dancing fleetingly within his early words.

"No, not diamond, Krest. Nothing so fancy, so ostentatious. You know me? You really think I would support such a waste of funds? No, they're simply well designed glass. After all, I may not buy into frivolous displays, but, our Assassins deserve to have some measure of luxury, no?" Ceasing his chuckles with two final taps of his fingers, Lykos allowed a flutter of a smile to cross his scarred lips before washing it away and returning to his mask of calm. "As for how I came into this place? Let's just say that some people no longer have good control over themselves and now require someone to hold their leashes.. I simply extended a ... helping, shall we say, hand" The Zabrak's cybernetic hand would roll over, palm now facing upwards and exposing the fact that the runes engraved in the metal were glowing a sickly crimson before the hand was flipped back over and the steady tapping resumed once more.

"It is good to sit down and talk, Krest. We have no had the chance to do so since my little disappearance act a little back, no?" Pushing himself to his feat with a slight grown, Lykos trudged over to the side bar, tumbler in hand, and began to pour himself a new drink, this time sampling a small dash of bourbon whiskey. "So, what have you been up to? Life been good by an Assassin's standard, I assume, since no blades have sank themselves between your ribs." Turning, Lykos was about to speak some more when the sound of the lift opening caught his sharp ears.

Walking to the railing right next to the top of the stairs leading to the elevated platform, Lykos' stared down at the new arrival. Black hair pulled into a bun, sharp brown eyes, clothed in an outfit that Lykos could only assign the label of 'countess' to. Slight limp in her right leg, adept disguised. A mask of neutrality, well worn and of a good level of skill, but slight tension still evident in the shoulders. An amber eye would almost glare at the new arrival's face with the intensity held within his stare as he memorised her features and compared them to the files he had analysed just before arriving at The Black Adder. It took a good few seconds for him to succeed, but, when he did, a name floated up from the depth of his mind. Leliana, a new student of his Master, [member="Darth Ophidia"].

Clearing his throat for the express purpose of capturing the woman's attention, Lykos was sure that he didn't exactly fit the image of a Sith considering his waistcoat, white crisp shirt and bare feet. "Miss Leliana? Won't you please join us? It is always a pleasure to get to know new additions to the order. If you do not know, I am Darth Lykos, The White Assassin. Will you please...?" As he trailed off, with his free hand - his cybernetic hand and the one not holding the tumbler of whiskey - Lykos would gesture towards the table where Krest sat.

[member="Krest"] | [member="Leliana"]

 

[Leliana]

She didn't immediately pick up on the presences in the room, her eyes were on the surroundings she found herself in. The room was finely furnished, fitting well with the typical image of a VIP area. Her time in such places had been very sporadic over the years, and more often than not most of her field missions never led her this far into the establishments.

Walking a bit firther in, she felt it. That cold chill that breezed down past the collar of her coat and settled along the skin of her neck. It was a sensation she had only recently began to feel, especially after meeting Darth Ophidia for the first time. The presence of others, specifically through the Force. She steeled her reaction to it, although she couldn't refrain from shifting a shoulders slightly, trying to disperse the tension she now noticed. Leliana tilted her head up slightly, her eyes falling on Darth Lykos' as the Zabrak stared down at her. His single amber eye to her two brown orbs. It was the second time she saw those type of eyes, the corruption of the Dark Side. They weren't too dissimiliar to her Master's, yet still held that same ever churning whirlpool of power within them.

And in part she wasn't surprised he knew her name, Leliana figured that if Ophidia had set things up for her entry here, then it meant her information was now out there at least amongst the Sith Assassins anyway. Still though, it did surprise her a little to be immediately recognized by someone she had never met before. Albeit she in part knew of Darth Lykos, or rather his moniker 'The White Assassin'. How could Leliana not, she practically grew up in a pseudo boarding school of hopeful assassins. It wasn't much of a stretch to imagine that they'd keep their ears to the ground when it came to the assassin world out in the galaxy, of the various names that sprung up amongst myth and legend. As such, a brief flash of recognition appeared in her eyes.

Leliana inclined her head in a small nod, before she walked over and ascending the stairs up to the upper level. That was when she noticed the other Zabrak seated at the table Lykos had indicated. As she walked over, Leliana slipped her coat off revealing her sleeveless cardigan and white shirt beneath it.

"Thank you for the welcome, Darth Lykos." She said, followed up by turning to look at Krest and giving him a similar nod. Folding her coat up a bit, Leliana propped it over the back of one of the chairs and took a seat at the table.

[member="Darth Lykos"] | [member="Krest"]​

 

[Venthis Zambrano]

Once again the elevator would spring to life, ticking as it dropped floor by floor until it reached this lower level of... VIPs. The doors slid open, revealing the red skinned Quarren who had desperately been in search of the Sith Assassins. He seemed to wearing his usual clothing, wrapped with a black cloak, his hood covering half of his face, only revealing his lower face as his tentacles stuck out from beneath the hood, twitching every few moments.

He took one brief step out of the elevator glancing around the room, eyeing the gathering before slowly wandering over to the group. He stood directly behind [member="Leliana"] before he would take a step to her right, facing the three. His tentacles would vibrate as he slowly chuckled.

"I'm sorry to interupt, the name is Thral Canx. A new... recruit of yours." He slurped out of his mouth, to the trio. Eyeing them all individually he would then pull a chair over with his hands and sit down, grabbing a glass before filling it with one of the already layed out jugs filled with whiskey. He would take a sip, before his tentacles would interlink, wrapping around each other and distaste would fill his face. Nevertheless, he put the glass down, awaiting the three's response.

[member="Darth Lykos"] | [member="Krest"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest would cast a glance to [member="Leliana"] as she entered and laughed. Star struck eh? Well, only to [member="Darth Lykos"] . "I suppose we do have some class, though, why is it she recognizes you, but not me?" He would pout as he took another drink, a false frown formed on his lips. As always, it was about making others doubt him. "Welcome kid to the Assassins. It's good to see another of Ophidia's joining the ranks. Perhaps you too under her tutelage will reach the height of our order." He would make a casual nod to Lykos, indicating the Whites own beginnings.

It was then that he heard [member="Thral Canx"] , and a brow would raise as he turned to see the fish man. A polite bow of his head was offered. "And welcome to you as well Canx."

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Smiling slightly, although it was by no means a fully pleasant smile as it was tinged with a harsh run of darkness beneath the benevolent facade, as Leliana would ascend the steps to join him and Krest. Gesturing with his cybernetic arm off to where the bar was set against the wall, he would speak up again. "Feel free to pour yourself a drink. As Krest will tell you, I'm rather serious for the majority of the time, but, now is a time to introduce Assassins to their fellows within the shadows." The jovial tone that Lykos had taken was one that really didn't suit him well, his heavily scarred features much more well fitted with the low, gravelly and stoic rumble he usually spoke with. That said, it had not been uncommon in the past for Lykos to assume a persona when most optimal and, as such, the unease he felt at speaking in such a way was easily hidden away.

Turning his attention back to Krest as he meandered back to his seat, lowering himself with a slight growl as a recent addition to his mass of scars was pulled sharply, Lykos began to, essentially, ignore Leliana; only his trained situational awareness keeping him focus on her movements. "The answer as to why I'm recognised over you is simple, Krest." The jovial tone was yet to leave, however, it was blunted by a undercurrent of a harsh jest. "Compare the two of us and you are old, I am young. What use does the galaxy have for a relic like yourself? Dried up and useless."

Chuckling slightly under his breath, Lykos leaned back in his seat, arms spread wide as a feral smirk began to pull at his lips. His body language helped to make his intentions clear, a clearly presented opening and welcome for any returning barbs that the red-skinned Zabrak might have. One did not know when a form of banter would be required, so, it would sere him well to practice it now. That, and he did have to admit to himself that he was anticipating a sense of amusement at any reaction Leliana might have at seeing one of the leaders of the Sith Assassins acting in such a way.


[member="Krest"] | [member="Leliana"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

From seemingly nowhere the husk that was Darth Abyss, Black Assassin and one of the four heads of the Assassin Council, was suddenly revealed inside the VIP area of the Black Adder. Despite his looks, a hollow, cursed armor that haunted the galaxy in utter defiance of natural lawas, he was no stranger to nightclubs. In fact he was probably more well versed in anything connected to Nar Shaddaa's nightlife and the Underworld in general than any other council member, including the owner of the Adder [member="Darth Lykos"]. Under the name of Prophet he was a notorious figure among the lawless of the galaxy, and few things on the smuggler moon escape his sight. Even the club for the assassins would've probably reached his ears without his direct connection to the organisation that controlled it.

The husk moved through the room like a ghost, soundless and menacing until he reached a nearby chair, descending down onto it and leaning back casually, a oddly peculiar motion that stood in stark contrast to the rest of his appearance. From his robe he reached for a pipe in form of a dragon's head, the small trinket lighting up by itself once it was locked between the shape metal teeth right below the empty eyed mask that served as a replacement of his face. The smoke was almost unbearable, yet oddly intriguing, the Korriban Incense filling the air with vibrant arcane energy.

For a moment he just sat idly, allowing the smoke to dance out of his mechanical jaw and his empty eye sockets, before he suddenly slammed down a metallic fist down on a nearby table, while reaching for the staff on his back. His otherworldly, inhuman voice echoed from another realm, a whisper that ignored the boundaries of this plane of existence.

"What has an undead to do to get a drink in here? This kind of discrimination against my kind is truly unbearable, I demand to talk to the owner."

The staff in his right banged on the ground and once more the husk was gone, his disappearance followed by a feeling of dread and unease as the veil departed to let the Mindeater traverse through the realm of the dead. Moments later the veil lifted a second time, releasing Abyss on a chair by the bar near Lykos and [member="Krest"] while listening to the last bits of their conversation.

"Brother you really need to improve the service in here. I waited for at least fifteen seconds and no Twi'lek dancer appeared to take my order. People have been killed for less on Nar Shaddaa."

He reached for the pipe so his metal teeth could grind over each other, creating a jarring noise that was Abyss version of a chuckle. Not that it sounded amused in any way, but it was still less damaging for fragile minds then the thought twisting, inhuman laugh he called upon otherwise. He turned his head slightly, despite the fact that the direction of his his empty eyes had no influence on what he could perceive, looking slightly at [member="Leliana"] and then at Krest. It was hard to tell because his face was always locked in a wicked grin, a visage of eternal mockery, but on the inside his mental face was a wicked grin of mockery. He lifted his left, pointing at the Red Assassin who had commented on not being recognized by the younger members of his shadow society.

"Lykos, why is the Janitor here?"

 

[Leliana]

As she sat, Leliana's eyes fell towards the bar Lykos had pointed towards. The woman mused silently for a moment, before nodding ever slightly and getting up from her seat. She moved with weightless elegance, her footsteps barely a whisper against the floor as she walked. Leliana's movements were precise and measured, taking perfect strides as she moved. One could easily mistake it as a noble thing; something a child was taught to be all 'prim and proper'. But it was in fact from her time in the assassin facility, to be a quiet and stealthy as possible even during the most simpliest of occasions. It was needless right now, but it had been drilled into Leliana's head so much that it naturally bled into her normal scenarios.

Once at the bar itself, Leliana perused the options on offer and eventually picked one. With an almost sleight of hand, Leliana snagged both a glass and the bottle in quick succession.

She froze in place however when Darth Abyss made his appearance. He was like some type of spectre, suddenly appearing from seemingly nowhere and gliding about without a single sound to his movements. Leliana instantly knew that whatever the man was, it was of the Force. To a degree it was almost overwhelming, especially to someone who had only been truly introduced to the Force recently. Her eyes remained fixed on Abyss as he shifted around the room, though eventually Leliana was able to break free of her state and continued moving.

Leliana had just about overheard the conversation between Krest and Lykos, managing to sit back in her seat as the latter finished speaking.

"To be fair, Lord Krest." She began, opening the bottle and pouring some of its contents into her cup. "I recognized Lord Lykos more by his title - The White Assassin." Leliana turned her head to look at Krest specifically. "Which I assume then, you are the Red Assassin, yes?" It was something she had come to realize upon finally meeting [member="Darth Ophidia"] for the first time; the Pale Assassin.

Which in turn meant - her eyes falling on Abyss once more, that he was the Black Assassin.

Leliana brought the glass to her lips, taking a sip that masked the look of realization that crossed her expression. She was amongst three parts of what to her, had been a legend whispered amongst the assassins she grew up with. And yet here she was, sitting with them as they jested with one another, of all things.

"Lykos, why is the Janitor here?"

She coughed harshly at that; her drink going the wrong way a bit. Leliana had been taken admittedly by surprise at Abyss' comment, especially given he was pointing at Krest.

[member="Darth Lykos"] | [member="Krest"] | [member="Darth Abyss"]​

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest opened his mouth to cleverly retort against [member="Darth Lykos"] when [member="Darth Abyss"] made his entrance. The elder man would scan over his way and watch him move. He had finally gotten the body he had dreamed of, but was it worth it? It was another question he was about to ask when Abyss too joined in mocking the old man. With a roll of his eyes he turned back to his drink, mumbling incoherently as he quickly began to drain the amber liquid from it's glass housing.

Gently he would set the now empty cup down, turning his attention to [member="Leliana"] . "Yes, I am the Red. Founder of the whole order. Master of these two's own master, and terribly sober. So if you don't mind." With a casual wave of his hand a bottle from behind the bar would fly across the room and into his out stretched palm. In a single fluid motion he would pop the cork and begin to down the amber liquid with a vengeance.