Changing Of The Guard [ATTN: Fringe]

[Judas of Vahl]

Changing Of The Guard​

The Chimaera, Fringe Space​

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It was Dranok Lussk's time.

For years now, he'd served loyally under the banner of the Lords of the Fringe and helped spread their little loose collective of free worlds into the interstellar empire that it's become today. However, there came a time when Lord Admiral Lussk was forced to choose between one empire or another. He remembered it like it was yesterday. The Sith Empire was facing yet another coup with Emperor Ardik at the throne. Mikhail Shorn, Lussk, and several other darker members of the Fringe rose to the call to usurp the faulty leadership and present it with new blood. And crack a few thrones or two.

And so Lussk's regime began. It wasn't met with welcoming arms, and he fought every inch of the way to stabilize his side of the galaxy. He'd fought wars with the Mandalorians, secured Imperial dominance, and turned that empire into the war machine that peaked above all of the others. That is, until Kaine Zambrano and his allies destroyed everything he'd worked so hard for. It wasn't anything personal, merely tradition. Time flew by, a new emperor arose, and then his glorious and beautiful empire crumbled.

But from the ashes of that empire, another rose.

Aboard the Chimaera
Command Bridge

"Bring port stabilizers to maximum capacity."
"Aye, sir."

Darth Arcis crossed the bridge of his beloved vessel. The crisp grey uniforms of his officers clashed sharply with his metallic armor, but nonetheless, it was how tradition operated. The True Sith enjoyed wearing such armor and clothing, whilst their imperial brethren chose the dull looks. It looked sharp, but it lacked pizzazz. King Arcis mentally shrugged, bringing his red-skinned form to the current deck officer.

"Anything to report, Lieutenant?" He asked smartly, looming over the man's figure.

The Lieutenant crossed something off on his datapad. "Nothing, sir. Everything should be good to go within.." he glanced at his chrono, "around half a standard hour."

"Very good. Carry on."

"Yes, sir."

Darth Arcis watched as the man saluted, then about faced and returned to carry out his usual duties. It was Lussk's calling to ensure the continuity of the Sith race, their ideals, and keep them alive in general. He'd already done a fair enough job of it on Tantorus where millions of the true Sith lived and called him their leader. It was nice, but the man desperately needed to reconnect with the rest of the galaxy.

It was his duty.

It was his meaning.

He hoped nobody would be too concerned regarding his departure.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Plaguebringer - Fringe Space

Within the Sith Lord's personal Infiltrator, he set his ship on an intercept course for the Chimaira. His cloak was off, his weapon system offline. His intentions were not hostile. Even if they were, there was little he could do to a Star Destroyer. Infiltrators were scout ships and transports. They stood little chance against the impressive defenses and weaponry of a Warship. Sparking up a cigar, he leaned back in his command chair.

He hailed the Chimaira once he was within range. "Star Destroyer Chimaira, this is Darth Sennou on the Plaguebringer. Requesting permission to dock." He wore a red suit, a pair of red shoes, and a black shirt. With him, he brought two bottles of brandy and a box of cigars. His reasonings were simple. A sort of farewell party.

Still, in his jacket pockets, held his six lightsabers. War never escaped the Sith and could easily break out at any time. It was one of those 'have it and not need it, than need it and not have it' sort of thing. The former Emperor had never really gotten a good conversation in with [member="Darth Arcis"]. Truth be told, he didn't know how the man would be.

Now seemed a good a time as any.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Aboard the Chimaera
Command Bridge
[member="Avicus DuSang"]

The Sith King had set his own chrono in preparation for a quick departure. He'd been pacing around the deck, reading reports from the scout line, and otherwise attempting to busy himself before he set a course for a route that led straight across the galaxy. Darth Arcis and his merry band of Stormtroopers, crewmen, officers, and a few dozen Sith warriors devoted solely to serve him. The Dark side of the Force helped keep this crew together, through thick and thin. Although Arcis would never execute his men for failing tasks, he was a fan of punishment.

"Sir, we've received a transmission from the Plaguebringer. Darth Sennou is hailing you." The Lieutenant from before quipped, a datapad in hand.

"What are his intents, Lieutenant?" It was a vital piece of information, if the officer had failed to get it, there would be consequences.

"He..he merely requests permission to dock, sir."

King Arcis frowned at the broad series of information. "I'll summon you later, Lieutenant. Grant permission and have a detachment escort him."

And with that, the Sith King fled the command bridge and instead sought solace in his personal quarters. Half of it was command room with tactical screens, data readouts, and miscellaneous military equipment. The other side beheld a long, metallic meeting table with a scattered collection of artwork aligning the room. A statue or two, and a few painting from Alderaan, Corellia, Empress Teta, and Coruscant. The King sighed and sat at the head of the table, resting his elbows upon it and interlocking his fingers. His guest would soon be docking, greeted by a pair of stormtroopers, and then brought straight to him.

He wondered who this man was. Perhaps he was a Fringer.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

The Plaguebringer flew into one of the hangars. After the landing gear was deployed, and the ship landed within the Chimaira, the ramp extended down. Lord Sennou, carrying the box of cigars and the case with the two bottles of wine. The cigar still in his mouth, caused a ring of smoke to roll around him. "I assume you're here to escort me?" he asked the armed Stormtroopers who awaited him within the hangar.

They acknowledged, turning and waiting for him to descend. With that, they lead him from the hangar and made their way for their Lord's personal quarters. Everything in the ship seemed to hum with unison. The whole crew displaying nothing but loyalty. Some influenced by the steady flow of dark energies that nearly pulsed within the ship. But, mostly, because of how strong of a leader [member="Darth Arcis"] seemed to be.

Such admiration from his underlings was grounds for respect.

Finally, the stormtroopers positioned themselves outside of Lord Arcis' door, knocking twice to indicate Avicus' arrival. As the door opened, the Sith Lord stepped in, bowing gracefully before setting the case of wine and box of cigars down on the table. Pulling an ashtray out of his pocket, he set it on the table before pulling the cigar out of his mouth, and ashing it. "Lord Arcis, I am Avicus DuSang, member of the Fringian society. I'm here to wish you a bon voyage in your future endeavors. May I offer a glass of wine, a fine cigar? Both from my personal reserves. C'est parfait."

 

[Judas of Vahl]

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

King Arcis could feel the presence as soon as it entered his domain. It was strong, dark, yet not malicious in any way or fashion. Even though it was unexpected, the ancient Lord was pleased to realize that there were souls out in this galaxy capable of handling matters politely and in a manner desired by most gentlemen. Of course, he was a Sith, a conqueror of worlds and hearts. However, that didn't mean he had to be chaotic nor display malice to every little soul that had the privilege of meeting him. Sometimes brains were above brawn. And in Arcis' book, sometimes was defined as all the time.

Rap-Rap.

The pair of knocks at his door signaled that the guest was right here. He'd been foolish, succumbing to his thoughts and not even realizing that the powerful man had quickly journeyed to him. The grey door slid open to reveal a human man, seemingly in his middle years and his little collection of gifts in his arms. An appearance can be misleading, though. The very aroma of the Darkside flowed from his form, pulsed through his veins. It was thick, powerful, addictive. How delightful, really. King Arcis was much more happier to be in the presence of strength rather than those lowly peons who strove for his attention. Such Sith who followed that route were never worthy. This one, Darth Sennou, seemed to be up to meeting the task.

As the Lord laid down his belongings, he informed Arcis that they were gifts. He was pleased. King Arcis rose from his seat to return the bow, acknowledging and thanking him for the offerings with his motions.

"Lord Sennou, it's a pleasure." He finished the curt bow and rose a hand before the door behind him, immediately attracting the attention of the officer in the hallway. "Please," the officer moved forward to place a pair of glasses upon the table before popping open a bottle of the wine, "have a seat." Lord Arcis' fingers swept across the table as the officer finished filling the glasses and neatly set them before the two Lords.

"So, what brings you here today?" He questioned. "Surely not for merely sharing pleasantries and small talk. A Fringer and a Lord, no less, must be fairly busy."

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Yellow eyes closed as he smirked. [member="Darth Arcis"] was a delightful host. Taking a seat, he picked up the glass of wine. His wrist began to twist as the liquid stirred within the glass. He put it under his nose, taking in the scent. It still needed to breathe. He opened his eyes, setting the glass down. The cigar was brought back to his lips as he took a long drag. "You get right to the point, my Lord. I admire that.

"But, in truth, I have no alterior motives. I'm rather new to the Fringe, so I like to go around and visit members of interest. Unfortunately, you decided to go elsewhere before I could properly introduce myself. But, my shedule is quite free. I'm semi-retired, afterall. Though, it is tempting to get back into playing chess. You, of course, know what I reference. The real game on a Galactic scale. As stressful as it is."

Another drag off of his cigar. Grey smoke rolling out of his nostrils. "Strange to think I once sat on the throne of the Sith Empire. Not so long ago I was brought onto the Council while Lord Gluttony ascended to the Crown. Before I was a politician, I was a philosopher. I was hit with an interesting revelation. The Jedi are like the Rancor, the perfect predator. Evolution hasn't needed to make significant changes in millenia. Yet, the Sith are constantly evolving. Each incarnation different, even if it's only slightly, then the Sith before them.

"Yet, we Sith never learned not to stab our chess pieces and fellow kings in the back. Every Sith is an island. With temporary enemies and allies. Sometimes, interchanging. But, I try to be different. I've always had allies in different shapes and forms. It's the inner diplomat from being raised within Coruscantian Nobility." He reached for his glass again, once more stirring it as he gave the scents a deep inhale. It was finally ready.

He held up his glass to his host before taking a sip.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

[member="Avicus DuSang"] ((OOC: Sorry for delays, band camp started and was extremely busy.))

The once Sith Emperor listened with interest as this man confessed to his own experiences with the Sith Empire and the various little dark kingdoms that arose from underneath its influence. It was a dreadful cycle - the Sith way. Each King, Emperor, Moff, General, and even the lower ranks always consistently believed that continuous strife against one another led them to success. Well, most of the time, it wasn't. Not even close. When a house is divided, it surely cannot pose a threat to their neighbors. In this case, their foes happened to range in the size of an entire galaxy.

"I couldn't agree more, Lord Sennou." His red-fleshed digits cradled the wine glass for a moment, stirring the contents much like the man across from him was doing. "It's quite dreadful than many choose to bite the hands that feed them. One such occasion occurred during my reign over the Empire, and that is why I am here today. The galaxy is constantly changing, primarily because we make it so." His golden eyes flashed with delight. "Imagine what a unified and orderly Sith Empire could do! Not just one of constant chaos and violence, but of order and efficiency!" His voice had rose quite a bit since the beginning of his little rant, but now he noticed it and he settled down.

He raised his glass in return to his guest. "For the new way."

And with that, he sipped the red wine, cherishing the taste as if it were blood.

 

[Avicus DuSang]

((No worries. I, too, had a lot going on which prevented me from posting right away.))

"The new way." he said, nodding in approval as he sipped from his own glass.

He let the liquid wash over his tongue, as the muscle slowly began breaking down each individual flavor. A small pocket of the fumes made their way into his nose, allowing for a further enveloping of the flavours. He closed his eyes, enjoying the small moment as time itself seemed to slow down. No, there was hardly anything better than good company and good wine. Setting the glass down, he put the remainder of his cigar in the ashtray before pulling out another one.

"Cigar, Lord Arcis?" he offered his host before lighting up his own. [member="Darth Arcis"] made fantastic points before his toast. "However, my Lord, the only way to get the Sith on a truly unified front is to give them all a common enemy. An enemy so powerful that they cannot take their attention off of it for one second to begin plans of betrayal. And even then, it is solely temporary. As soon as aforementioned enemy loses power, they'll go back to killing one another.

"In my youth, I was hungry for power. But, I learned to not cross blades with my brothers and sisters. Instead, I made allies within warring factions. Had Jedi coming to my aid and betraying their own. Those were the days of glory. The Sith Knight of Indulgence, they called me. Trapped in hedonism far worse than what I am now. Almost died from a spice addiction. But, my, now ex, wife saved me. And for a few years, I was content with just being a wealthy family man. And now, every victory is bittersweet." He chuckled, shaking his head.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

The Sith Lord nodded his head in a pleasing manner as Lord Sennou approved of his points. King Arcis already liked this man upon his entry and opening statements, perhaps there was more to this newfound kinship than meets the eye. Quite possibly. Darth Arcis rarely doubted things of this nature, especially when it came to comradeship and brotherhood. He'd been human once before and attended college, had a fairly normal life and whatnot. Everyone in this galaxy put their pants on one leg at a time, he was no different.

"A common enemy?" The conversation brought him back into reality. "My destination has all the foes I need. The One Sith are growing stronger, they've even recently toppled the Jedi Order on Coruscant and brought the world under their rule. That is more than enough to warrant the attention of the Galactic Republic, the Mandalorian clans, and even some outsider forces."

Arcis inclined his head in approval at the offer of a cigar, easing the plump dose of tobacco from Sennou's grip with a flick of the Force, bringing it into his own grip. An officer strode forward, igniting a lighter and serving his lord without question. The King mentally thanked the man before inserting the cigar into his mouth, drawing a deep inhale of the smoke. This was indulgence. No question about it.

"What say you on these matters, Lord Sennou?"

[member="Avicus DuSang"]

 

[Avicus DuSang]

Indeed. It was good to get companionship in the darkness. As he said earlier, it was the normal for the Sith to be cutthroat, waiting for their opportunity to topple those above, beside, and beneath you. Treachery was the way of the Sith, was it not? Puffing on his cigar, he released the smoke from his nostrils. As he began to sip his wine, [member="Darth Arcis"] mentioned the One Sith conquering his homeworld of Coruscant. He nearly choked on the wine before swallowing and setting the glass down.

How did he miss that? Did he not receive any news from the House of Lords? From his butler? Or had he just been so out of touch that he skimmed over it without giving it much thought? All three of those possibilities had their troubling implications. Yellow eyes moved back to his host. "The Crown Jewel of the Galaxy? I've been grooming the House of Lords for years to perform particularly well under Sith Government."

His thoughts were chaotic. He was tempted to follow his host's lead and join the One Sith as well. Coruscant was the most important planet to him in the entire Galaxy. To not fear going home due to being attacked or arrested by the Jedi or Republic was a relief in itself. "A bold move, but a well calculated risk. Coruscant holds both economic and cultural value."