Alkahest is Heresy (Darth Shadow)

[Darth Libertas]

The galaxy was in a constant state of flux ever since Star Peace had died. Ergo it was important to keep up with the news. Fortunately there was a reputable network that was fair, objective and unbiased. These words are used very tongue-in-cheek. "With the loss of Contruum, the Republic enters its darkest hour. For a decade it was a dam against the rising tide of darkness. Its armies defended the entire Galaxy against the Sith...yet reliable sources state that its so-called allies never one provided effective aid.


The cowardly Silvers are dragging their heels, no doubt turning their covetuous eye towards Ossus and other planets. The Galactic Alliance claims it will take the fight to the Sith, yet is formed by renegades who refused to help the Republic, the Mandalorians are indolent after attacking our people on Ossus. Do they believe that the storm will pass them by? Or are they hoping the Sith will let them gobble up territory?

According to a highly-placed source in the Ministry of Defence who shall remain anonymous, the betrayal is not only without, but also within. How is it that our forces were defeated time and again despite their unbreakable courage. The only logical answer is that there must be traitors inside. We need only look at how many Jedi, even Council members, defected to..."


Rather than patriotic indignation, Sumiko looked somewhat amused when the reputable journalist speechified and enlightened the populace about the evils of the Galaxy. "How amusing and melodramatic. A toast to a bygone era and evolution's loser. The Republic enacting a purge like a good banana republic would make my day. Since they're as 'galactic' as Atrisia's Galactic Empire, maybe they should call themselves the Democratic People's Republic of Chazwa," she commented sardonically before taking a sip from her glass of wine and switching the holographic newsreader off. The advantage of being an amoral sociopath was that you simply did not care. It was then that her comm suddenly beeped, indicating a call...


[member="Valiens Nantaris"], [member="Darth Shadow"]

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
A call was patched through from a very perky personal assistant. “Excuse me, Miss Tohoku, a call from Mr Levert for you. Putting you through now.”

A familiar voice came on the line. “Ah, Miss Tohoku, I do trust I am not interrupting anything? I have some business considerations for you and do hope we might arrange a meeting. Best discuss such matters in person.”

Mr Quoll Levert was a very reputable businessman and benefactor and wanted to reach out to an old friend for a meeting. Naturally this was not a guaranteed secure line.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


The melodramatic newscaster had been replaced by a patriotic broadcast trying to encourage people to sign up for the Grand Army of the Republic, before Sumiko switched it off and accepted the call from the perky assistant. Ms. Tohoku was one of Sumiko's many aliases. Such disguises were useful given her background and line of work.


And so she got to converse with Mr. Levert, a very respectable businessman who was not all involved in shady dealings. No, sir, he even donated to Ewok charities. "No, you're not interrupting anything. It's a pleasure to hear from you, Mr Levert," Sumiko replied evenly, thinking for a moment.


"I'd be interested in a meeting. Do you have any preferences regarding location? I hear the Amidala Café is very nice this season." The Techno Union controlled Naboo, but that entity was known to be friendly to enterprising capitalists and Sith. Of course, no Sithy dealings were going to be discussed here.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
“It sounds splendid. I hear they have delightful wafers there. Shall we say 3 days’ time?”

An obligatory timeskip later, and Mr Quoll Levert entered the café and headed upstairs to a private room set aside for them. He sat and ordered some wafers and tea, waiting for his guest to arrive.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Time skips are a nice thing. Presumably plenty of mundane stuff happened in between, but it shall not concern us since it's not important! Anyhow, three days hence Sumiko was at the cafe and a finely dressed minion - everyone in Theed seemed to be overdressed in faus Renaissance clothes and wear bright primary colours - directed her to the room that had been assigned to them. As usual, Theed looked lovely and picturesque. Presumably it was also still ruled by teenage princesses because this was a bizarre planet.


Then again, this was a Galaxy with teenage old Jedi Masters and Supreme Chancellors. The door opened and Sumiko strode in, elegantly but not ostentatiously dressed. Her lightsabre was hidden in the seam of her pants, and the pendant around her neck was actually a hold-out bolter. Immediately after stepping in she performed a quick scan of the room with her senses, searching for any hidden bugs and such. Mechu-deru came in handy for such tasks. A certain degree of paranoia was to be expected in her line of work.


"Mr Levert, a pleasure to see you. I trust the flight was pleasant. I see Theed has not changed much," she said politely. The walls had ears, so it was best to stick with aliases for the start. After she sat down, a waiter came and took her order. After the minion was gone and she was certain they were not being overheard, they could talk freely. Appropriately, there was a portrait of Amidala hanging on the wall. "During our conversation, you spoke of a business opportunity. I must say I am intrigued. Please elaborate."

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
“Sumiko, my dear, so nice to see you again,” the Sith Lord said with a polite smile.

“Yes, a business opportunity. I have acquired for myself a lucrative business in selling antiques and valuable art. All legitimate of course…but there are occasions where it is necessary to acquire the antiques in order to sell them. My offer to you is that if you would be interested in acquiring such valuables I would split any profit 50/50.”

“I also have it in mind to teach you a few more things for a more secret part of a business we might share. Though you are not Sith, there are few in the galaxy I would consider as such. I have it in mind to create and sell items constructed with Sith Alchemy to those who desire them. If you would be willing to learn it would increase your skills and allow us to make a tidy profit too.”

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


There was a saying that you did not look a gift horse in the mouth. Well, presumably that was not a good idea since it might be rather rank inside there, though presumably that was not what was meant. In any case, Sumiko pondered. By nature she was a suspicious person, but the business offer seemed rational to her.


Moreover, it would give her a steadier source of funds than relying solely on freelance work. She refused to bend a knee to the unseen Dark Lord, was too amoral to work for Jedi, whom she considered to be fools anyway, and she was very doubtful that her affiliation with Kairos would get anywhere. There was AEI, but it seemed most of the staff alchemists of the corporate titan had been taken out of commission when Rave Merrill died/vanished/erased herself.


"That sounds like a very lucrative offer to me. I have the skills to acquire valuables of that nature, " she finally said. In the meantime the waiter had arrived and brought her some tea. It was not Atrisian tea, but close enough. She waited for the waiter to leave before she continued speaking. "Alchemy is a field that has long interested, but I would appreciate education in it and the chance to make a profit alongside. Where is this company based?" Somewhere neutral seemed best, especially when it came to alchemical workshops and such. As for antiques, there was certainly a market for that. The price for Eldorai art had soared after an asteroid had devastated their homeworld.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
“Currently I am based on Denon, though I frequently move around to acquire items. The city is filled with prospective buyers whilst the zombies who live in the bowels of the undercity provide useful specimens for study.”

“How are you finding your blade? Is the ancient spirit proving to be a boon or an annoyance?” the Sith Lord asked in amusement.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Denon was an interesting place. Back in its glory days Omega Pyre had all but eradicated the zombie menace, but it seemed some had survived. Truth be told, the ecumenopolis struck Sumiko as a ticking time bomb. It would not take much to spread a mass plague once more...


The Republic's defeat at Contruum had made the planet neutral territory. There was the downside that it also housed the Archangel HQ. However, given the truly absurd number of people that lived in the megacity, it would be difficult to pick one out. "I have meant to study the Denon undead for some time. Interesting creatures if the Pyre after-action reports are to be believed. As for the blade, it's been a bit of both. Very useful for violence and furthering my studies into sorcery, but also an annoyance. I suppose I cannot expect anything less from an ancient spirit. It would be a bit dull if it had no personality," she said with a chuckle.


She was on her guard, but part of her did enjoy the verbal sparring with Souldrinker. As long as it just remained that...After all, she was conscious of what had happened to its past wielders. They had all died brutal deaths and the sword had passed on to the next.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
‘Oh no, my sweet, I would not destroy you. Not yet…’ the sword whispered in her mind. This was worrying perhaps since she’d not brought it along with her! Walking into a café with an evil looking sword was not the wisest move ever.

“They are interesting. More intelligent than the traditional Rakghouls and more adaptable than other such shambling monsters.”

One can only imagine Shadow’s reaction to the ‘Croa’. Probably the line ‘Wipe them out; all of them’!

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Outwardly no emotion or any real reaction crossed Sumiko's face when the sword suddenly spoke into her mind, but it did not escape her that this was problematic. What she did was shore up her mental barriers inside her mind. Thanks to Inquisition training, these were very potent. The spirit would have to be brought under control, if possible. If an instrument became too powerful, it would have to be discarded.


As useful as the sword was, there was a risk inherent in possessing it. There were several avenues she could pursue, but more research would be needed. This gave her more incentive to work with Shadow...but also to approach her old boss, [member="Mirien Valdier"]. Time would tell how things would go. After all, it was a dangerous game she played. Especially since she knew what her former superior thought of Sith.


"Agreed. Probably also more practical than unleashing a 2km worm or similar nonsense. Of course, their adaptability and intelligence also makes them dangerous, but also interesting. Regardless, I am very eager to begin our work," she took a sip from her tea. As for Croa, Sumiko had heard disturbing rumours about 'catgirls' suddenly appearing in Black Rose space. It had confirmed her decision to leave that cult. Absurd creatures!

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
As she shored up her defences a slight telepathic chuckle could be heard, as if the blade was amused by her caution. It said no more though.

Shadow did not seem to have noticed anything. “Excellent. I will return to Denon and prepare for your ‘employment’. All the regular formalities must be observed, you understand. You can then join me and we can begin our partnership.”

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Presumably if Sumiko had been the Stupid Evil type, she would gone about how she had 'unlimited power' and could 'bend the sword to her will'. Well, that what she wanted to do, but she had a keen sense of the fact that she was not omnipotent. Well, she thought she had at any rate. Perhaps what she had endured on Atrisia during the Force-User Purge had given her an appreciation of her own mortality.


Whether this would go well for was another question. Personally this writer would find it amusing and rather karmic if things came to bite her back in the arse. Regardless, on with the plot. "Excellent. I have some business to wrap up, but would be able to join you within a week." Presumably after this post a time skip will come into effect.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
“Until then, Ms Tanaka, may the Force serve you.”

Presumably Sumiko went back to her rooms where the Sith blade was waiting for her. Of course, being a sword it was not capable of locomotion, but it seemed to be waiting to see what she would do.
‘A new adventure, I am positively bursting with excitement,’ it commented sardonically.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


"Truly, your boundless enthusiasm is palpable." Sumiko responded just as dryly. The sword had been wrapped in nullification resin to make it more difficult for a Jedi or any another Forcer to sense its inherent malevolence. "Turns out I have a new business opportunity with old Halicanyos. Or Shadow as he is called now. Any of your past wielders crossed paths with him before they met their grisly ends that didn't have anything to do with you?"

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
The sword seemed to consider matters. “Halicanyos? A moderate intellect and one determined to renew the Sith Empire. It is what led to his downfall, and that of my former master Naukros. The fools did not listen to me. I could have told them of their folly. He felt he had uncovered the secret of the Emperor’s silence, that he was distracted elsewhere, and that it was time to overthrow him. He paid the price…and so did I. The Emperor, for all his foibles, was the strongest person in the Force I have ever encountered. He easily destroyed Naukros, and I was buried with him…in the nullification field no less as punishment!”
The blade seemed indignant at this.

“I had assumed he had been slain. But he somehow survives to the present? A sick joke perhaps, like that fool Scourge. Immortality is rarely worth the price.”

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Now this was an amusing coincidence. "Indeed it isn't. Death comes to us all one day," Sumiko said, sounding somewhat philosophical. "Far as I hear, Halicanyos survived because Vitiate locked him in an oubliette and he awoke millennia after. How amusing that another, supposedly omnipotent Dark Lord reigns over the Sith these days, though I'm half-convinced this one may really be a fraud. Not that I have any intention of following Halicanyos if longer than it suits my purposes. I take it the mystery Naukros uncovered was that Vitiate was running another empire on the side?"


The historical records of this time were a bit sketchy, but several seemed to agree that the Eternal Empire had ultimately been toppled by a Smuggler of all people. It sounded a bit absurd to Sumiko that someone like that would have led the plucky rebels, but that applied to make things in this universe. Like Republic politics.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
The blade seemed curious. “Is that what happened? I had felt that the Emperor was simply preparing another ritual such as he had before. I had merely felt that Halicanyos was mistaken, but the Emperor was actually distracted by another Empire? Curious. Still, that was all a long time ago. You would do well not to trust him.”
As if the blade was more trustworthy.

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Shadow"]


Well, it was always very satisfying when she got to one-up the sword. Alas, it happened very rarely. "I'll take that advice to heart," Sumiko said very, very dryly. Tone pretty much said 'dude, I don't trust either of you'. And so she went on about her business and presumably started packing her belongings. Fortunately she travelled rather light wherever she went, but she did have some business to handle.


One week later she would be arriving on Denon to meet with 'Mr Quoll Levert'.

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]
Waiting for Sumiko at the spaceport was a gleaming protocol droid holding up her assumed name on a sign.
“Ms Tohoku. I am A5-S1. Please follow me, and I will take you to Mr Levert.”

A speeder awaited them outside.