Charcoal to Red

[Sheff Zee]

[member="Darth Mierin"]

It was soon after the One Sith had returned to Coruscant after the Dominion of Tantorus. He was still fresh faced, curious as curious could be of the Sith that came from this new Order that he had never heard of. Upon Tantorus they still believed in their being a single Dark Lord, that had sort of been Sith King Arcis with multiple Sith Lords scattered over the planet.

But that all changed when Arcis had proclaimed himself King.

However, there was a single Sith that he wanted to speak to. A Sith Lord he figured since she had seemed quite powerful within the throne room, but he couldn't find the nerve to speak to the woman before. Amongst the ranks of the Sith he figured he could have only seen a handful of Sith Purebloods, it was odd to him. Due to that, he had sought out the Sith that was Darth Mierin, wherever she was upon Coruscant in the Sith Temple and looked amongst the Sith that were present.

Clad in his black cloak, and a durasteel helmet to conceal what species and who he was from everyone. He had felt sort of like an outcast when he had been upon Tantorus, but now he was amongst an Order with multiple species. Was he still an outcast, or was he one of them now?

 

[J3C0]

Mierin sat within the Library of the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, in her lap was a small datapad.

The thing was a marvelous device, not something that had existed in her era. The Datapad contained the sum total knowledge of all that was contained within the library on Coruscant, countless books, scrolls, and other artifacts that seemed never ending. Mierin had had the device for some time, and she had only consumed a fraction of the knowledge within.

So much of history had been lost during the Gulag Plague, so much that she had missed.

There was a part of her that wished she had been part of the Ancient Empire when it had fallen, there was a part of her that wished she knew the fate of her father and mother. It was a small part, but a part nonetheless. She frowned as she closed a book about the fall of Korriban, opening one about the so called “Clone wars”.

She had no idea Malphas was looking for her, and thus didn't seek him out.

 

[Sheff Zee]

The Sith Pureblood moved through the Library and when he saw the familiar form of Darth Mierin, he continued towards her until he stopped just on what he thought was the edge of her vision, and he waited for her acknowledgement before speaking. He didn't know how this Sith would react outside of negotiations with his King, not yet, and he wanted to make sure that he was spoken to before speaking.

He looked to the datapad in her hands, and wondered as to what she was reading. He wasn't sure why, but he too was curious as to what information she wanted to learn. Suddenly, he couldn't help himself in those few moments that he stood there and said, "can I sit?" It sounded like the right thing to ask at the time.

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“I would certainly hope so.” Mierin said quietly, never looking up from her book. “Otherwise you would be incapable of a basic sentient function.”

Her words were completely flat, if she was joking there was no hint of it. This was the attitude that Mierin displayed towards apprentices, she was a teacher after all. It was not that she didn't like them, it was simply that they were not equals. They were children playing with toys they could not quite understand.

A mock here, a joke there.

Eventually the apprentices would find their place, it was only a matter of time. Of course until then Mierin could have all the fun she wanted, and nobody would stop her. She was a Hand of the Dark Lord, no one but he could compel her.

 

[Sheff Zee]

When she spoke, she spoke quietly and he was uncertain as to what she was being serious, but he didn't say anything to back talk her. He couldn't be rude to his superior, a Sith Lord. She would easily put him in his place he was certain, and plus without any weapons he couldn't hope to put up a fight with the crimson Pureblood.

He took a moment to think as he pulled out a chair across the table from her and took a seat. At that point he threw his hood back and placed both of his gloved hands to his head and pulled off the durasteel helmet. He revealed his face. The typical face of a Pureblood, but instead of being obsidian, or crimson, he was a charcoal colour. It was a unique colour, something that rarely happened, and he said, "I heard my people came from Korriban. Are there still Sith on it?" For a moment, he wondered if she would understand him when he referred to 'Sith.'

He spoke of the species, and not of the culture.

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

She placed down her datapad on the table, shutting down the device and frowning slightly.

This one was obvious a Pureblood, though the pigmentation was different but it was easy to tell. Mierin frowned slightly, the difference was unsettling, though not unheard of. She had met a few within her time, though they had always been reduced to slaves or the lowliest of warriors. In a species where perfection was everything, those that differed hardly thrived.

“No.” Mierin said. “Our people were slaughtered by the Republic after the Great Hyperspace War. Countless eons ago.”

The Pureblood frowned slightly. She had learned that from the Dark Lord himself. He had taught her much of the time after her...disappearance. Though how he knew she had no idea.

 

[Sheff Zee]

He frowned at that. He imagined all of the people upon Tantorus being simply... Eradicated. Destroyed by this Republic that he had never seen before and their planet being destroyed. He didn't even know what their original homeworld looked like, only what it was named, and it bothered him. Even though he was young, he was still quite curious about the Galaxy.

He would have asked her long ago that was, but he pushed that off to the side considering it an annoying question to ask. He thought for a moment before speaking and said, "when were you born then?" He didn't know the names of the eras, but it was possible that he could get an idea soon enough, or search up what information he could. They were in a library after all.

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

She smiled at that.

It was a question that was almost beyond comprehension. She was born before the records of the Galaxy truly existed, she was born before recorded history. Yes, some Jedi could claim to remember all the way back, some could say they knew what it was like, but none really had fact.

“Eons ago.” Mierin said silently. “Thousands upon thousands of years ago.”

The Old Empire had risen nearly eight thousand years ago now, and when it was at its height Mierin was already nearly a century old. She was ancient by any standard. Granted she hadn't lived that long when compared to some others, but she truly could claim to be a True Sith lord.

 

[Sheff Zee]

How could one being so old? Where are the rest of our species? She couldn't be the only one from that time, it's impossible. How...

He was surprised to say the least, before he could even form an actual sentence there was a choking sound in his throat, and then he closed it to prevent further embarrassment. He couldn't believe she had lived for so long, and seemed so young. He himself was young, but she was an adult and he was still a child, barely on the verge of adolescence. Now, he was truly interested.

"So you were alive when there were millions of us on Korriban? You fought with Sith Lords? Who was the King at the time? How could you live this long?" He was excited, but he wasn't hopping up and down. His questions came in a stream, but they weren't one after the other, there was space in between every question to give her time to reply before he simply asked another one right after. It seemed as if he was asking them off the top of his head. Is she even real?

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“More than Korriban. The Sith held an Empire at one time. Not as grand as the Empires of today i'm afraid, but then again technology was far less advanced.” She didn't mind admitting that, it did not hurt her pride. She knew that had they had the technologies of today, the Sith would have conquered everything.

“As for the Sith Lords. There were many things. The finest of all during my time was a man known as Marka Ragnos, though even he could not cheat death. Three tried to ascent after he met his demise. Naga Sadow, Ludo Kressh...” She paused for a moment with a smile “And me.”

She of course had been more subtle than the other two. Her plan had always been assassination, not direct confrontation. It was unfortunate that her slumber had interrupted her.

 

[Sheff Zee]

"How long did it last? Did it fall because Sith fought each other?" He wondered aloud, and started to look around the library as if he could find a section that would be able to tell him where to go to get the information. In his eyes it was clear that his mind was wandering, and then he focused upon her again.

If it was true that there was a powerful Lord that went by the name of Marka Ragnos, and there were three people who tried to ascend to his throne, and she was one of them, then certainly she was one of the most powerful Sith Lords that the One Sith had to offer. She knew of the past, and would be able to prevent Sith from performing deeds that would be able to force them into submission as they had before.

"But you failed." He suddenly said, though it was clearly off the top of his head and little more than an assumption. She hadn't said anything else, other than seeming pleased with herself because she had tried to ascend to a Throne. If she had ruled, she'd be dead right now, or did she flee? His eyes narrowed in scrutiny of her as if he was trying to find scars upon her face and the rest of her body, but he soon stopped when he couldn't find what he was looking for. In truth, he didn't even know what he was looking for. "Who turned out to be the winner?"

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“No. I did not fail. I was simply prevented from taking my chance.” Mierin said quietly as if she was dismayed by the fact. “The Empire was ruled by both Ludo Kressh, and Naga Sadow. The spirit of Marka Ragnos deemed it to be so. In tandem they began a campaign now known as the Great Hyperspace War. Though I suppose it could be said Naga was the winner in the end.”

Again there was a hint of distaste in that. “Pity. He was a shortsighted man.”

Mierin then turned away from Malphas and picked up her datapad again.

“If you wish to learn of history, there are many datacrons that tell the tale. My own included.” She was not here to tell the tales of history, not when there was yet more to discover on her own.

 

[Sheff Zee]

He wondered for a moment at her words. If it was true, then she had certainly been a threat to the other two Sith Lords in that case, and he knew that at that point he had spoken too much for she had picked up her datapad again. At that point, he was truly curious as to what it was that she was reading. But he wasn't going to apologize for it.

"How did he die?" He asked, and then she started to speak about utilizing datacrons. He frowned for a moment, wondering as to what that was and then he realized. He shook his head as if to rid himself of the confusion and then he asked, "where is it? Your datacron."

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“He died, because he tried to take on too much.” Mierin said blankly, ignoring his second question.

A thought had been sparked within her mind, and she would not need to follow it. The Datapad was once again shut down and placed on the table in front of her. She ignored him for a moment, and moved to one of the datacron holders. She retrieved one of the small square devices, and placed it on the table before him. She pressed a few keys, and an image of a battle showed up.

“The Republic and the Ancient Empire engaged within war, a war engaged by Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh.” Mierin explained as she pointed to the ships. “The war was winnable, but Sadow made an error.”

She said the words with a scowl.

 

[Sheff Zee]

Once she had ignored him upon the matter of her datacron, he had been certain she would forget about him and continue reading. Instead, she had gotten up to her feet and went off to one of the containers off to the side. Turns out it held a datacron, probably hers when she narrated what happened to a degree.

He had no idea what she wanted from him when she had pointed to the ships. he hated when people asked those silent questions, but he certainly felt like a genius when he was right on the first try. So he would try here.

"He was outnumbered in space? He wasted them..." He took another guess and waited.

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“No.” Mierin said flatly. He was a keen observer and of course could see which ships lacked the Sith Mark and which bore it. Obviously the Sith Ships were more numerous, though they seemingly held less of a position than the Republic ships.

“The Republic held technological superiority over us.” She explained by pointing to one of the more smoothly designed Republic ships. “You see. Our ships had no shields, only armor. Our weapons were less powerful as well, and as a result we lost most engagements in space.”

She shrugged slightly. The Empire had been strong it was true, but they had always been focused far too much on the force. Yes the Force was powerful, yes entire star systems could be destroyed with a wave of the hand, but that didn't help one in conquering. To take control of something one needed to know more than destroy. "We were more powerful individually, but together we were weak."

The truth in that statement stung.

 

[Sheff Zee]

"Does the Republic still have technological superiority?" He understood completely as to what she was speaking of. Quality not quantity is the reason why they had lost space engagements. Way back then Sith fought each other all the time, because of that they could never advance as fast as their enemies. It was also likely that the Sith cared more about themselves in the end rather than the rest of their species and army.

"Is that why you're a member of the One Sith now? For the unity that it offers? With a single all powerful Dark Lord none can challenge him." He nodded his after he stopped speaking. He understood completely as to what was happening. "Do you think Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh could have beaten our Dark Lord?"

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“For now.” Mierin said cryptically. This time she brought up another image on the datacron. Pictures of the battle of Carida where the One Sith had observed many of the ships of the Republic. Of course thanks to Daella Apparine they had many of the schematics and build plans of the ships. The Republic fleet, or old parts of it were very well known to the Sith.

Though that hardly mattered given the ships nature.

“No. Sadow and Kressh would have paled in his face, though they would have tried.” Overconfidence had been their key after all. “The Dark Lord has more than strength however. He has a vision beyong conquest.”

 

[Sheff Zee]

He was unsure as to which response her first reply had been to. When the next image came up he looked at every single ship. It was quite clear which ships belonged to the Galactic Republic and which to the One Sith. "The Republic won?" He questioned softly unsure if his assumption was correct. It certainly looked like there were Sith ships, but what she had said before and his own thoughts made him wonder before he'd think favourably upon those he was going to fight with.

"What is his vision, a united galaxy?"

[member="Darth Mierin"]

 

[J3C0]

“I was not there to witness it, but I am told it was so.” Mierin said, turning her face down at the Republic ships.

Circumstances were not all that different now actually. Though of course there was one big change, leadership. The Dark Lord knew fully well that they needed unity, as well as technological superiority in order to win. That was why her task had been so important, that was why she needed to keep up in her pursuits, and that was partially why she was instructing this one now.

“At first, but it is so much more that is yet to be revealed.” Only certain few knew what the Dark Lord sought. Order in the Galaxy first, and then to the rest. “First, the Republic will have to be silenced.”