Private Euclid (Darth Meritum)

[Darth Carnifex]

The skies above Jutrand thundered angrily, the overwhelming power of the Dark Side concentrated into a single place causing disastrous atmospheric distortions. Much of this was mitigated by city-sized weather stations designed to regulate the worst of the churning maelstroms, but much was left to rage on across the dark and dismal ecumenopolis. The surface of Jutrand, though dominated by towering spires and huge monolithic ziggurats, was sparsely populated beyond the most reinforced structures. It was beneath the surface level where most of the population lived, crammed into squalor and crime-riddled districts where life was brief and cheap.

Darth Carnifex, Dark Lord of the Sith, Eternal Father of the Kainate, and Voice of Dark Side, sat in meditation at the apex of a large ziggurat nestled amidst the endless cityscape. The storm raged about Him, winds and rain lashing His bare skin, but the Dark Lord was immovable. He drew power from the storm, letting it's dark turbulence wash over Him like waves upon a shore. Lightning stabbed at Him from the blackened clouds, but were absorbed into His tattoo-kissed flesh rather than burning it away.

His thoughts turned between many things as He sat there, exposed to the maelstrom. Of the plans He had set in motion, and the future He was working to build. Everything was moving into position at a glacial pace, but one that He preferred; move too quickly and He might galvanize those who would see to undo His future. Let it creep upon them before they were aware, and consume them beneath it's indomitable advance. Even now, His foes were none the wiser. He'd like to keep it that way.

But there was one who He could not ignore, at least not for the moment. The Emperor, Darth Empyrean , had been His adversary once, but now they had settled in a mutual existence thanks to the efforts of the Empress, Srina Talon . It was by her suggestion that He entreat with the Voice of the Emperor, to inform Him of the progress being made by the Sepulchral. Having taken over leadership of the enigmatic priesthood, Carnifex had been busy at work reshaping it to fit His designs, and had since spread His new priesthood out to every corner of the Empire and beyond it.

Where the Legions tramped and the Inquisition uprooted, the Sepulchral was there to plant and nurture. The minds of the masses were being bent to the will of the Sith, community by community, world by world. In time, they would be as little more than marionettes dancing to the pull of taut strings.

Rising, the Dark Lord withdrew into the temple. Dressing Himself in a long, unornamented robe, He moved into the reception chamber reserved for those of high esteem within the Sith Order. It was there that the Voice would be received, drawn into the room by a pair of Crownguard before they swiftly retreated back out into the hall; leaving the both of them alone together. Where Carnifex was a tightly wound storm of violence and hate, the gray-haired Meritum appeared more demure, more withdrawn and sagacious.

Perhaps that is why he had been chosen by Empyrean.

One could not see the dagger pressed against their throat, when they focused on the open hand presented to them.

Darth Meritum ​

 

[Darth Meritum]

Meritum, like many Sith, had found the storms almost enchanting if not rejuvenating. In the same way the Sith flocked to Korriban, Exegol, and Dromund Kaas, so too would they to Jutrand for the nature of the Dark Side. Here, in a world covered by city, it was all the more enticing as person after person fed into the storms with their faith and hate, their struggle and strife. Where it might have found its genesis in the strength of Sith like Carnifex or Empyrean, it sustained itself on the people now loyal to the Sith.​

​

Soon, as so many worlds before, this world too would die. It was the cost of power on such a grand scale. He knew in spite of that, the Sith were going to keep it alive with daily transfusions of people. It had already begun to be its largest import next to food. For Meritum, he cared little for that; he'd leave the imports and exports to better men. He was only here to guide the Empire on behalf of the Emperor.​

​

And so, today he would do just that.​

​

The Sepulchral were a secretive bunch, and Empyrean had imparted that much to Meritum during their meetings. Empyrean spoke of them like a cancer, but Meritum had never been the Sepulchral's focus like the other large Sith were. He was, for all that he was, someone who had slipped through the cracks. Today, he would crawl out of one of them and be put before an Emperor he had served once. He was even a bit curious if Carnifex had ever known his name but he sincerely doubted it.​

​

The Crownguard walked Meritum through the doors and then departed, leaving the two Sith there alone. Meritum had seen Carnifex before, but being alone with a giant always felt a bit different than it did from afar. He himself was not ordained in fineries or wealth, no jewelry or adornment. There upon him was nothing but the simplest of Sith attire - black and minimal, less than a suit but more than robes. It was very modern in that way.​

​

"Greetings, Darth Carnifex."​

​

"I'm Darth Meritum. I served you once, on Bastion, before the Imperials."​

​

And, perhaps a bit ironically, Meritum offered the giant an open hand - a gesture far removed from the Dead God.​

​

Darth Carnifex​

​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"I remember."

Those words fell with the same glacial weight as a collapsing star, all the power and authority that ran rife through the Dark Lord's veins enunciated in four simple syllables. But they were not spoken in spite or malice, only pure objectivity. The Dark Lord remembered, and that was that. It was rare for the Dark Lord to not commit a face and voice to memory, memory that He could still call upon with acute precision. He saw Meritum's face many times, at least relative to the brief moments their destinies intersected.

But beyond that fleeting familiarity, they might as well have been strangers for all that mattered.

"And now Darth Empyrean has bestowed upon you the gift of his Voice." He approached, slow methodical steps while His shadow drew large across the floor; the faint flash of a smile hidden in the encroaching darkness. "I have sought you out to speak of Sepulchral matters, now that my control over the priesthood has been established. Much has been done to bring the priesthood in alignment with our vision of Empire, plans are in motion to spread priests beyond our borders to the neutral systems. Our faith shall be heralded from every corner of this galaxy."

Darth Meritum ​

 

[Darth Meritum]

Curious.​

​

He had no doubt the Twice-Emperor had a sharp mind, but remembering all the Sith that served him seemed a step further than he expected. It mattered little the grand scheme of things, they were strangers for all purposes - even if Carnifex's reputation preceded him.​

​

"As it should.", he offered back with a nod.​

​

"I am thankful for the position the Emperor has bestowed upon me. His duties take him elsewhere, so his time to look inwards is... limited. I find men who are capable of becoming leaders like you both have a tendency to look outwards - it is only natural, given our hunger and ambition. It is good to be proven wrong, in so far you are reinforcing our holdings, rather than expanding them."​

​

"I have, however, been appraised of the Sepulchral situation. Excuse me for being blunt, Darth Carnifex , but is the Sepulchral truly under your control? What intelligence reports the Emperor has given me show their assets far outstrip our audits."​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"It is controlled enough."

It was an unfortunate truth that the Sepulchral's true scope eluded both Darth Carnifex and Darth Empyrean. The memories He'd gained from Demiurge alluded to something far greater and more pervasive than either of them truly realized, but even Demiurge had been kept in the dark about the Sepulchral's true nature. What was known in the Empire was only a fraction, perhaps even a fraction of that fraction, of the true Sepulchral hidden beyond sight.

"And enough will have to suffice, Lord Meritum. It is beyond our power at this moment to destroy the Sepulchral in it's entirely, but with one hand around their neck we can direct their mysticism to the Empire's benefit." Already, the Dark Lord had begun to implement reforms to the Sepulchral structure He could control. Order began to arise where once there was chaos, the designs of the Sith superseding the designs of the Sepulchral.

"But it will never be a permanent solution, this sword that hangs over our heads. That we know the sword exists is an advantage, we can prepare for when it falls."

Darth Meritum ​

 

[Darth Meritum]

"Of that, we can agree.", he said, still with a bit of aprehension to what degree they actually knew the Sword was there. It was one thing to know the name of your enemy, an entire other to know what your enemy is.​

​

"So - you mentioned you had matters of the Sepulchral to discuss, and I'm sure you don't care to hear me prattle on about my anxieties. What can you tell me about your domestic operations, and how I can best ensure the stability of the Empire from my own position?"​

​

Darth Carnifex​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"By my hand, the Sepulchral Priesthood has been reorganized into four dicasteries. Two of which are the most relevant to our discussion. Purgia and Ecclesia. Typhojem, open the files for Purgia and Ecclesia." There was a static hum, a warbling of energy that caused all the hairs on their bodies to stand rigid. Then, holographic projections began to illuminate the air around them. Statistical data, scrolling paragraphs of Aurebesh, and visual representations of what had once been merely theoretical concepts, now made manifest.

"Purgia is designed to infiltrate the population of every world. Their charge is to uncover and uproot the unclean, those who pervert the teachings of the Sith. Purity enforced by the tightly wound fist. The Inquisition may handle matters of wider intelligence and assassination, the Ministry of Order may police the masses and put them to work, but it is Purgia that purifies them." Then, the images shifted to show pictographs of the priestly caste, the Sepulchral Kissai. "Ecclesia operates more openly, the face of the Sepulchral. They establish temples on every world and preach the gospel of eternity, extolling the might and supremacy of the Sith, and leading their flocks into worship of the Order."

"This is my design, Lord Meritum. A multi-faceted approach to ensuring order and purity remain unwavering in our Empire."

Darth Meritum ​

 

[Darth Meritum]

As the Twice-Emperor spoke, Meritum took out old-aged technology: a simple pen and journal. He began to write as he listened, flipping back to old notes then to new ones as he continued. When Carnifex was done, Meritum set it in his lap for a moment.​

​

"It seems there is much overlap between the three organizations. Tensions are rising over who controls the population - and it seems a war all three are winning in their own ways. Ministry of Order, Sepulchral, and Tsis'kaar. I forsee blood in the future, if not arguments tomorrow - but I can appreciate each's own contributions to ensuring our Order lasts millenia. When the Tsis'kaar or Ministry of Order begins to encroach on your rightful privileges, what will happen then?"

Darth Carnifex​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The Emperor knows as well as I that the blades of your adversaries are best turned on one another than on yourself. There are many in our great Empire who erroneously believe that their personal ambition supersedes the Empire's function, far too obsessed with what was rather than what could be. The Tsis'kaar is but one of these errant elements tolerated by our Empire. But their desired total authority over jurisprudence is now threatened by an empowered Ministry of Order, a Ministry who's jurisdiction bleeds into what the Tsis'kaar believed was theirs alone."

"Likewise, the Sepulchral Purgia's vague authority now overlaps with that of the Ministry and Tsis'kaar, as you have stated. Not only that, but the assembling Sanitation Authority will play a stronger role in the manipulation of the criminal elements of our Empire, further blurring the lines of where one organization's authority begins and another's ends. Confusion and conflict is bound to arise when these opposing forces tread on one another, to the benefit of the Empire's central authority. The more these lesser sections fight amongst one another, scheming and plotting to undermine themselves, then they cannot threaten the throne."

"And, of course, competition inevitably breeds a victor. But none so strong enough to threaten the equilibrium of the Empire."

Darth Meritum ​

 

[Darth Meritum]

It was, of course, left unsaid that the Sanitation Authority was under the control of the Asha'kurat and Empyrean's own loyalists. The fact so many had intended to undermine it, unwittingly, spoke volumes to need of reinforcement of the status quo. The people of the Empire didn't need freedom, they needed purpose and labor - it was through those that they would find true freedom, if not for them, then for their children. Some suffering now was only a small price to pay for the greater good.​

​

Meritum, outwardly, nodded to Darth Carnifex .​

​

"Of that, we can agree. I think the blurred lines can only serve to benefit the Emperor, if not the Empire by proxy. I do have a separate concern, however...", Meritum said with a sigh as he closed his small journal and the notes he had been taking.​

​

"The Tsis'kaar. The Marr. He has been given too much power, too early. Little of it he has earned himself, and more over, he's growing arrogant. He recently had a small... tantrum... in the Dark Council chambers over the bounty you put on his head, believing us all to be plotting against him due to our apathy on it. I do not fault you for wanting him dead, if only through the market of bounty hunters, but I fear his freedom and power are going to hurt the Empire."​

​

"He is failing to uphold some decorum when faced with antagonistic elements, something inherent to the Sith. He is criticized, and he grows petulant from it. I think the boy has potential - but making him realize that potential is going to prove hard. Do you have thoughts on him, or his growingly precarious position within the Order?"​