Private Byssal Order's Up

[Naniti]

LOCATION: Byss, The Core, Covenant Space​

Near the top of one of the largest towers in the city resided a large, two level condominium. Richly furnished, but with an interior decorator's touch, the abode was surprisingly homey or warm. It bore contrasting dark and light hues alike to take full advantage of Byss' unique ambiance that poured in though floor-to-ceiling windows. They were VIPs of the Sith Covenant, after all. Acquiring one of the finest places for even a brief stay hadn't been difficult. People in power weren't half as stupid as most believed; they knew the Sith had free reign in every conceivable way. Appeasing them allowed people to live longer. Simple.

There'd been time before Lysander von Ascania arrived though. It allowed Naniti the opportunity to read the report she'd gotten her hands on. Maybe the Sith Lords weren't inclined to humor a paperwork inquiry, but they were 'willing' to give a Togruta access to the database where she could get whatever she wanted. Maybe what she wanted had nothing to do with the Covenant's present aims. It was just one report. No one would ever even notice or care.

She'd fallen asleep on the couch after reading the pad now on her chest.

When her blue eyes slid open, Naniti slowly sat up and pivoted to drop her feet to the floor. "Sithspit," she sighed. Despite a failure to resolve matters in a world within the world, the Togurta's fingers took hold of the data pad to set it aside calmly. Figured she wouldn't get it right the first time. It was so incomprehensibly vast. It was going to take time and a lot of attempts to figure out the right combination. The fact it was so far in the future didn't help either; so many variables to account for, Naniti expected many efforts would go awry long before the pivotal moment.

On her feet, she paused to look out the windows at the city with its slender towers. This was a world made for the Sith. Not that all of them knew it, but its history had been shaped by them before. Its reconstruction had brought back some of its vibrancy that had been lost, but a miasma of the Dark Side hadn't fled that region of space yet. It might not be the obsidian of the Deep Core any longer, but it wasn't a pristine diamond either. More of a teal sapphire anyway.

Nasty eating habits though. Some artisanal flare, which Naniti found influenced some of their culinary world, but the lay person seemed to like ordering 'foodstuff' from off world. People actually liked that stuff. Not that she couldn't eat it, but too many sweets and barely-recognizable-as-food products made her sick. Not to mention the after taste. How did people stand it?

In any event, she'd purchased some ingredients for a local dish that sounded health and delicious. It'd be good to eat in. Less people to overhear what they discussed. You could never be sure how many spies were listening. Naniti might be a humble Apprentice, but she was a humble apprentice with access. Made her a target for adversarial spooks. Plus, the two of them might be more inclined to talk about things others shouldn't hear about.

Maybe they could even just sit back and... Naniti glanced at the door before she looked back out the window. Well, he'd be there soon, anyway.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti​

The journey back from Ukatis clung to Lysander in unexpected ways. Though not typical of Sith, there was a softness brushing the edges of a hardened spirit, a knot once bound tightly finally loosened. If only slightly. The gift of being able to hold his niece, Luciana, feeling her tiny fingers wrap around his thumb with pure trust, stirred something long forgotten. To her, he was something safe, unaware of the darker deeds he had wrought across the galaxy in recent months. Temporarily, maybe. Or maybe not. So far, he purposely avoided examining it too closely..

The planet was beautiful and dangerous, a paradox that only Sith worlds could conjure. But.. Byss had its own flavor of darkness. Not the void which haunted much of the Deep Core now, nor the cruel austerity of Korriban. Something different. Whatever it may be, Byss didn’t feel quite as heavy as it should have..

The day's second training block always arrived on schedule. Morning and night.. without exception. A cadence his violet partner probably memorized by now to the exact hour. Even closeness needed its counterbalance. Whether that made him some creature of habit or someone holding tight to discipline, he wasn't quite sure. Perhaps a bit of both. In the end, it hardly mattered. Just as apparent was how he found himself buried in holotexts lately, anything to keep his mind from wandering down the wrong path.

Running.. roadwork, really.. was a pillar he built himself on. Never random, and far from leisurely. Structured threshold work. A dance with discomfort. Lysander thrived in this structured chaos. Honest data offered him their own sanctuary, quantified effort that granted clarity. Heartrate, distances, time.. all truths that would never lie or betray.

Nearing the finish, he stole a glance at the watch clasped around his wrist. Good wasn't enough; excellence was the baseline. And hitting the mark was never the end. A strong pulse thrummed in his chest, the very rhythm he'd worked hard to achieve. Beads of sweat traced paths down his face while breathing gradually slowed.

An hour passed by, ample time to collect his thoughts and begin anew. The elevator ascended smoothly. Upon reaching the top floor, an access card slid through the reader with a soft beep and granted him entry. Stepping inside, fingers found a towel left by the door, pulling it across a damp neck and the final droplets of his run. Eyes raised slowly, landing on the couch first, then shifting to the window where she stood.

The span of a few meters stretched between them until he closed it, halting just shy of her side. He traced the horizon beyond the skyline. "You're thinking too hard again," voiced in a slow, thoughtful murmur. "Let me in a little." The city faded and his attention circled back to her. "Or don't. Just.. let me stand with you while you sort it."