A Practice in Nepotism

[Yoru Shakou]

Lanteeb​

The Spire​

High Council Chambers​

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Light flooded into the room from the large open windows, the sunset pouring its golden yellow rays upon the walls before they began to slowly recede. With a simple press of a button, the shutters upon the windows closed, shutting out the light and leaving the room to be bathed in the dim lights that lined the sconces along the walls. The older male sat upon the large ornate style throne at the head of the large circular chamber, filled with a handful of similar, yet less ornate thrones. ​

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Those steely eyes fell upon the familiar figure before him, the young woman that had found her way to his side. Each time it seemed she was fleeing from his brother, attempting in her own way to prove herself. He could only figure and guess at what stories of him were told. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he placed his hands upon the sturdy arm rests of the throne, pushing himself up. ​

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The low clinking noise of the lightsaber upon his belt sounded into the room. Clicking against his thigh as he stepped forward until he stood in the middle of the large chamber. Looking towards the woman he spoke not a single word, nor allowed a single utterance of a sound to escape his lip. ​

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His mind was a whirring blur of thoughts as he remained still before the silence would finally be broken. His eyes falling upon the woman once more as he remained still, watching her movements. There were few among them at the moment, yet he shouldered too much of the burden, and thus he knew that he needed those that would be loyal and willing to shoulder what remained. ​

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"Step forward." ​

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A grizzled voice broke the silence, the older male keeping his eyes upon her as he remained still. Today would mark a day that was much needed, and it would only be the beginning of a small fraction of what was to come in this woman's life. ​

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[member="Vinatia Blackwood"]​

 

[Ibby]

[member="Tasgetius Blackwood"]

Vinatia stood in the doorway of the chamber, marveling at the architectural loveliness of it. Well, alright, she was really eyeing the smaller thrones, trying to imagine which one would give her the best advantage to view her rivals fellow members. If she was elected to sitting on one, that was.

System Lord... Oooh, just the thought of the power and influence such an individual would have gave her chills. The good kind, that was. The young woman snorted softly. Her brother would be a terrible System Lord; lazy, incompetent, and used to getting whatever he wanted on a silver platter while she, she had to work for it. But imagine what she could do, as a System Lord! Fenri would no longer be able to treat her with insolence, and her father would finally have to take note of her. And her mother? While Elysa Gentri Blackwood would much rather see her daughter as the Supreme System Lord, she would nonetheless be proud of Vinatia.

Suddenly, the room went dark. Stifling a gasp, the young woman gripped the folds of her deliciously azure dress, eyes wide as she struggled to see. Not for the first time, Vinatia wished her parents had corrected her eyes. But, since Fenri hadn't inherited their mother's night-blindness, her father never saw a real need for the procedure. Besides, the few doctors they'd asked stated that she couldn't be cured. Thus, it became a tightly-wrapped secret; outsiders merely assumed the woman was afraid of the dark, not blind in it.

Ears straining, she managed to pinpoint the general location of her uncle, her unseeing eyes pointed in his direction. The hall fell silent as he (presumably) stopped walking, but was filled with his voice for a brief heartbeat as he commanded her forward. Hiding her hesitation with a seeming wish to look composed, Vinatia slowly walked forward. How far is he? she wondered. Please don't let me bump into him! By the gods, that would be mortifying! So, after a few paces, she stopped and gave a slight curtsey.

"Uncle Tasgetius, pleasure to see you again."

 

[Yoru Shakou]

Watching as the young woman made her way carefully forward, he had to curse his family's inaction to ensure that the problems that his niece had faced would be dealt with. Then again, he always felt that her father was much like her brother, and it was clear to him that her brother had inherited all of the laziness that her father had in his young years and even held now. Remaining quiet as he kept his eyes upon her, his hand reached down to the lightsaber at his belt, pulling it from where it had rested. ​

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Carefully bringing the hilt up, his thumb pressed against the activator button. It was a weapon that had been carried by someone close to him, and now he held it as a sign of what had happened to that individual. Keeping his eyes upon his niece, he held the blade up, the dim green hue of the blade bringing more light to the room as he looked upon his niece.

"This blade was the weapon of someone I held dear. Someone I had called Sister. The Jedi took her and turned her into a weapon. They sent her to kill my mentor, and she nearly killed me. I returned and again they sent her to kill me, yet I released her. I hold this blade because I killed the one whom lost who they had been to the Jedi."

Pressing the activation button once more, the blade flickered out of existence before it was returned to his belt. The lights in the room slowly becoming brighter to reveal the older male before her. His eyes upon the young woman as he motioned with a hand.

"Kneel." ​

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[member="Vinatia Blackwood"]
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[Ibby]

[member="Tasgetius Blackwood"]

The light of the green lightsaber chased away some of the blindness, and it took only a second for her eyes to adjust. Vinatia's grey eyes studied the effect the glow had on her uncle's face; it made him seem older, more solemn. And yet, there was none of the arrogance her father and brother flaunted like birds of paradise.

It was one of the reasons Vinatia had begun to wish her uncle was her father instead. He saw how valuable, how important she could be; he saw what only her mother could see; and he had managed to earn more respect from her than her male kin had earned in her entire life.

Then her uncle spoke again, giving what she suspected was a very condensed history of the weapon. The fact that it was taken from a Jedi was interesting, as was the subtle bitterness towards the Order. Of course, the woman herself dismissed the lightsaber-toting, celibacy-swearing individuals as pompous somethings, but she didn't inherently dislike them. Vinatia simply thought that the Sith were much better at getting things done, though they had a bad habit of destroying everyone and everything in sight.

The lightsaber switched off, and there was another moment of blackness before she could see the lights in the room growing stronger.

Kneel? For a moment, a streak of rebellion touched her heart, and a flicker of disdain crossed her face. Kneel, like a servant?!

Patience, darling, her mother's voice whispered. Remember your lessons, and your place.

Oh, right. This wasn't her home, where she could snap her fingers and have people scurry about. She was in the presence of her uncle who possessed much more power than her. And even though her uncle hadn't done anything to suggest a dislike of the woman, the young Hapan mix suspected that he would not let an act of rebellion slide. Vinatia's face composed once more, and she did as she was told, kneeling with the grace of self-control.

 

[Yoru Shakou]

"Of all those whom share the blood that we carry, you are only one of a few whom I could consider an equal." ​

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His eyes stayed upon her as she finally kneeled, knowing that she was smart enough to realize that even she had her limits and a place in the Galaxy. Keeping an eye upon his niece, a small smirk crossed his lips for a moment as he stepped forward. The heavy cloak running along the floor as the lightsaber clicked against his thigh. ​

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As he stood before her he brought his hand up, his other pulling the glove away. In the light of the room it was revealed, the metallic arm and hand that had been replacement for that which he lost. Taking a moment he remembered the events that lead upon the need for such a limb before he turned to his niece. ​

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"Thus I name you daughter." ​

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He spoke, his hand coming down to rest upon her head, brushing along her locks as she brought his hand down. Resting upon her chin and lifting her head, his eyes locking upon hers. ​

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"You and your mother are worthy, my brother and that thing he calls a son are a disgrace."​

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Keeping his eyes upon hers, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. His hand slowly drawing away before he nodded softly, the decision finally made, a moment and practice in nepotism. ​

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"I name you System Lord, your mother is named Underlord." ​

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[member="Vinatia Blackwood"]​

 

[Ibby]

[member="Tasgetius Blackwood"]

A sharp inhalation of breath was all Vinatia could manage at the declaration. And as her eyes locked onto her uncle's, she just knew that her feeling of triumph was clear in her eyes.

Finally, she had done something her father and brother would have never been able to accomplish. System Lord! For a moment, the woman's thoughts flitted back to just a few minutes ago, when she had been eyeing the thrones. How funny it was, the way the universe worked.

And her mother, Underlord? If Vinatia wasn't System Lord, that would have chafed the Lady Blackwood to no end. But Elysa was the one who always pushed her daughter ahead of her own needs. Thus she knew there would be no betrayals from that end.

I cannot wait to tell Mother. And to see Father and Brother's faces? How utterly...delicious.

"Thank you, Uncle. My mother and myself are in your debt." Vin paused for a moment, thinking. "But my father and my brother will not be pleased with this. What do you think I should do?" For all of her dislike for her male family, even she had to admit they had enough power to oppose this.

The young half-Hapan had an idea, but she dared not voice it, not yet. And if her Uncle made no mention of it, Vinatia would see her mother's advice before going on.

 

[Yoru Shakou]

"Remove them." ​

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The older male spoke bluntly, his form already moving away from the young woman as he approached the throne, pulling himself into the stone piece as he leaned back slowly. His arms resting upon the large arm rests as he kept his eyes upon her. Watching the young woman before he leaned forward, his chin coming to rest against his clenched fist. ​

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"You make your own path now. Seek your mother's console on the matter if you must. The truth is clear. If they seek to oppose you, then remove them." ​

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Tasgetius was always blunt when it came to some subjects, and it was likely that if his niece did not remove her father and brother, it was very likely that he would do so himself. He had little love for some members of his family, and even now he felt that there were those whom attached themselves to his name just because of the name. When he had taken over the ancient name there had been many to claim kinship. ​

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This woman was one of the few whom proved to have any sort of worth to herself and her actions. Even her mother had her own worth, though from what he could tell, her father and brother were nothing more than anchors. ​

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"If you do not remove them, then I shall." ​

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[member="Vinatia Blackwood"]​

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*Note: With the faction now a Criminal Syndicate, your rank will be a Sector Lord (tag request was made and I'm waiting for its completion.)​