Darkly Diplomatic Deals

[Onrai]

LWHEKK

Mastery. The one thing Sith strive to achieve. With her newfound prestige as a master, Circe now had a greater degree of influence, and this meant that she had the capability to become a Sith Lady. A long time ago, she had intended to use her position as a Sith, if she had ever acquired it, to assist two people who she considered to be exceptionally close friends. These two people currently led the Fringe from the shadows. One of them was here on Lwhekk, the world of the Ssi-Ruuvi, and it was for that reason that Circe was here.

It was time to discuss business between Darksiders.

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ashin would not have considered Circe Savan an exceptionally close friend. An associate, an ally, the person who'd delivered her from her cancer before death forced her to make a deal with the devil Val'Ryss Zankarr. Circe, for all her apparent desire for closeness and connection, remained something of an enigma to Ashin in various ways.

Circe was invited aboard the Star Destroyer Chimaera, a vessel with which she was familiar. Ashin awaited in the training room.

 

[Onrai]

The Chimaera was an intriguing vessel, and ironically enough, Circe now had a significant portion of the Imperial fleet of Ashin's day in her pocket. The Empire had phased out almost all of vessels, a modest amount of which had been sold to the Mnenchei as scrap. The rest had been purchased on behalf of Subach-Innes with the intent to thoroughly update them to a more modern standard. Perhaps Ashin would be willing to let the Chimaera be used as a template for such a refit...

But that wasn't why she was here, and as she entered the training room, slowly stepping towards the former Empress Desmius, the prior ruler of the Sith Empire would likely recognize her power had grown since the last time they had met. Of course, trying Soth sorcery against a more experienced Master would likely end up horribly backfiring, but meh. Practice did make perfect.

"Well... Good to see you again, Ashin."

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Fething finally."

Ashin sagged against the wall in unfeigned relief. "Circe, I've been trying for a long, long time to get you to the point where you could be considered a Master of the Force. And here you are. Well done, Circe.

"So what happens now? Do you intend to make the Sith master's obligatory push for the Sith Empire's throne? Are you after a position in the Fringe again? Or are you here to kill me?"

 

[Onrai]

"Thank you."

The words after her praise of Circe made an eyebrow raise. She had no intentions of taking the position of Empress of the Sith Empire. Not anytime soon. Nor could she be full-time with the Fringe. Not with her close position to the Emperor himself. As for killing her... as fun as getting electrocuted again sounded, that wasn't on her plans for today.

"In a way... I wish to become one of the Empire's triumvirate of Sith Lords, and for that, I felt your assistance would be needed."

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

Ashin applauded gently.

"Circe, that is a very manageable but ambitious goal. Balance is important. I have few contacts within the Empire these days, but yes, so long as it doesn't jeopardize my mutual defense pact with Emperor Zambrano, I'll assist you. The Lords of the Sith Empire are currently Vilox Pazela, Krag, and Kara Vi'dreya, correct? Do you plan to supplant one of them, or work alongside them?"

 

[Onrai]

"Supplant the weakest of the triune. And that, rather obviously, is the Graug." Technically true. Of the three, he was the weakest in power Force-wise. And the one whom she could work with the least(Vazela having been her master and Kara having been her daughter). Acquisition of such a sector of Sith space would prove terribly useful to her own goals and research - the Serpena Consortium would exist at last, similar to the Tion Hegemony that Sirella Valkner once ruled.

"I figure that as a Sith Lord... well, Sith Lady, I would be able to assist you in keeping the Fringe in good relations with the Empire, as well as push forward your own agenda. You know, exert your influence in the Empire once again."

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"Krag is...active. More to the point, he was personally instated by Zambrano. Depose him, and His Majesty might well decide to reject your claim. That's his right, by the current system. Consider loyalty to Zambrano as strength of position that outweighs personal skills. I know of Pazela, I know something of his inclinations and proclivities, but tell me about Vi'dreya."

 

[Onrai]

"Vi'dreya is the daughter of the former Emperor, Dranok Lussk. She's sort of like a daughter to me, hence why I wish to not depose her. She is deceitful, manipulative... she makes me so proud. I must say, if there was ever someone who was fit to be my daughter, it would be Kara." True comments, though Circe did silently despise Kara's acquisition of power. It wasn't the power itself she despised - rather the fact that the two of them had had zero family time since her ascension. Perhaps, though, that would change with her ascension.

"Do you consider her the weakest link?"

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Certainly not. I consider her someone I'd want to lure away, leaving a seat open for you, though I'm not sure I could do better than rule of a third of the Sith Empire. No, the weak link is certainly Vilox Pazela, at least in terms of loyalty. He wants my attention but hates some of my associates. Tell me what you know about him."

 

[Onrai]

"I know he considers himself my Master. His allegiance to Kaine is... questionable, to say the least. What he intends to do... Well, I don't really know at the moment. What I do know is that the Emperor seems to be keeping an eye on him. Perhaps it's his ambition which Kaine sees as troublesome or worrying." She paused, curious as to how Ashin could assist her.

"I assume you could lure him away from the Empire?"

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"In a heartbeat, Circe. It's probably a safe assumption that he wants Kaine's throne -- who doesn't? -- but there are alternatives to the Sith Empire's throne, alternatives that a man like him might find entertaining. And if he doesn't acquiesce, I might simply kill him. Masteries or not.

"That said, if there's one person who could be lured, my guess is Vi'dreya. But one way or another, I can make some inquiries and see what I can accomplish. Hold off on attacking Krag, please."

 

[Onrai]

"I'd certainly be eager to see what sort of devilishly diabolical plans you have prepared for him." And indeed she did... With Vazela gone, she would be able to more adequately push her own agenda as part of the Sith Empire.

"I'm intrigued by your plans, but would like to request one more thing... the few rituals you know of Dark Side magic. Would you be willing to teach me them?"

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"What, Sith spells? As you say, it's only a few. My specialities lie elsewhere. What spells do you already know?"

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

"I learned Suppress Thought from Vazela. Some, such as Aura of Uneasiness, I learned from scrolls and tomes I've acquired. Some, like Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut, I knew, but wasn't powerful enough to use until now. There were others, such as Waves of Darkness, False Light Side Aura, and the summoning of smoke demons that I learned from a certain Force Ghost."

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"That's a fairly comprehensive list for such a new Master. It'll be remarkably easy to lose control -- and few of the spells I know compare to those ones." She shrugged. "In terms of Sith Magic, you've surpassed me by far. There's nothing I can teach you in that arena."

 

[Onrai]

"I would still like to know what you know. I know that you at least know something I don't, that being the blood trail. What else do you know that I don't?"

She was still trying to be the inferior. Being exceptionally fething rude and rubbing in that she knew arcane techniques Ashin would never touch was absolutely not the way to go.

After all, there was always Force Storm.

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

"Circe, our skillsets are remarkably different. Our combat styles are night and day. The sources of our power are fairly different, too. And there's a reason for that.

"You've always sought out esoteric power after esoteric power. You've thought that obscure techniques like Sith Magic and black spears and Plant Surge and the White Current meant that you were strong -- and maybe they do, in their own way, but that way is not my way. Circe, do you know what lies at the heart of my power? What dominates everything I do? The core abilities. Physical enhancement. Lightning. Energy resistance. Telekinesis. Shii-Cho. Oh, I've picked up odds and ends -- you don't walk the paths I've walked without accumulating some random skills -- but my skillset is bland, bland, bland. That's why you've always been so frustrated in trying to learn from me: Because you see the Core Powers as something only Padawans focus on. I don't use the big flashy complex things. I have none of them to teach you.

"And as for the odds and ends -- Nightsister blood trails, materials alchemy -- to learn from a non-specialist like myself would be painful, time-consuming, and difficult. The same goes for Force Storm, which I've sworn never to teach anyone but Spencer."

 

[Onrai]

"Fair enough... I suppose I'm out of questions, or other things to ask about. I suppose there's nothing else to train in with you..." She frowned. Having time with Ashin was an immense amount of enjoyment on Circe's part, despite the significant risks involved of being possibly electrocuted, or slammed against a wall, or otherwise harmed.

"A question before I go, Ash... What happened to Rave Merrill?"

@[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Circe Savan"]

"Rave is doing well. She's making a name for herself both as a researcher and as a commander of planetary occupations. As a matter of fact, I've just sent her to Tar Mordren with a shipload of troops and materiel for an assault on a Rebel Alliance base. I'd imagine you'll find her there."