Heil the Emperor! [Kaine Zambrano]

[Nikolas Faselli]

​

| -Ziost- |
| ~Near the citadel of Ajunta Pall~ |

The day had come. It wasn't very normal, that a really weak Sith Apprentice meets the Emperor and talks with him. Probably it was normal, that the Emperor becomes a slaver and slaves these young and stupid Apprentices. This time... it was not supposed to be like that. Daxton Bane, the fromer Master of the current Sith Emperor, had given her the advice to go and speak with the powerful Sith Master. After all, he was a really strong politician who was able to destroy every enemy there was. And by that, I mean every political enemy.

The woman who wanted to see Mr. Zambrano was called Lilith Mae Lancaster. And she had a wish. She had a goal. Besides the normal Sith things, she hoped there will be a day when people bow before her. She believed a day will come when she rules. Ruling the whole galaxy was almost impossible, so she hadn't decided how much she'll rule. She just knew she'll have to lead an area of it.

She was supposed to meet the Emperor on Ziost, which was a really important planet for the Sith Empire. Being probably as important as Korriban, the man had chosen this place to be the one they'll meet on. Lilith hadn't brought any support or friends. Judging by the importance of mister Zambrano, she assumed, that he'll bring someone to protect him or something like that. Or at least that's what she would've done if she were instead of him.

Now this Sith Apprentice and Sorceress Potential stood near the huge citadel of Ajunta Pall, nervously waiting for the man. This time she felt even worse. She had met many people and she had had to talk in front of powerful ones, but she had never been more nervous than today. Her heart literally skipped beats and the air coming from her nostrils shivered. Her voice would've probably done the same. But she didn't talk. Because there was no one to talk to.

Lilith had abandoned her former typical clothes and now she only wore a red, skin-tight dress, red heels and a woolen cloak. The clothing, of course, didn't suit the planet, because it was really icy. But Lilith had never been to that planet before, so she knew nothing about it. And now she hated herself because of the fact, that she had done no research. Normally she looked for information but planets before they visited them, but this time she had probably been very happy for the chance she had been given.

She had her staff with her and behind her back, covered by the cloak, stood the long lightsaber called Mounrning Star. It was attached to her back, so she felt safe. She couldn't risk with a saber falling down at such a meeting. Probably the Emperor was a power-hungry and cruel psychopath, so every mistake could've cost Lilith's life. It was better to be safe.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

It wasn't often that Kaine would get a call from the demons of his past, but low and behold there was a transmission from his old master. Daxton Bane had asked Kaine to meet with one of his newer proteges to instruct her in the delicate cloak-and-daggers trade of politics. He had decided to oblige the wishes of his old mentor, and humored the child by inviting her to meet with him on the ice world of Ziost, a planet very important to the Sith Order. The citadel of Ajunta Pall was to be the meeting location, and Kaine sent ahead his agents to wait for the girl's arrivals before Kaine even set foot on the planet. Everything they saw, Kaine saw, and long story short he was relatively unimpressed by the girl who had shown up to the meeting location, but Kaine had given Daxton his word. He owed the Zabrak bastard that at least.

In a few short minutes the royal shuttle of the Emperor thundered across the skies overlooking the citadel, sending forth a monstrous roar as many civilians looked on in awe and fear. Once landed, Kaine emerged from the shuttle wearing a thick fur coat which concealed his set of alchemy-enhanced armor underneath. Beside him were two of his force-sensitive Blackblade Praetorian, each wielding ornate saberpikes as homage to the Royal Guards of old. As he neared the meeting location, Kaine idly dismissed his guards to diligently patrol the perimeter of the meeting for any that would interrupt it, and deal with them using lethal force.

When Lilith came in sight of Kaine, he raised a single hand in greeting before saying, "Hail Lady Lancaster." He easily crossed the distance between them in very few strides due to his tall, imposing form made even larger by the thick coat wrapped around him. His piercing emerald eyes bore into Lilith as he came to a stop a few feet before her, waiting for her to show him the proper respect before saying anything further.

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

A loud noise was being heard. And Lilith heard it too. It had to be the ship of the Emperor. Lilith was sure it is. Her thoughts were right, because when the ship landed, a noble figure, the Emperor, walked out of it. Yes, he really was a royal person. And a powerful person. The man was walking towards her.

"Hail Lady Lancaster." the man said. What? Me? A lady? Lilith immediately thought. She found her thoughts to be so funny, that she forgot to be nervous. Lilith had been wrong about Kaine. She thought he doesn't have manners.

When the man was really close to Lilith, it was obvious he waited for an appropriate greeting. She didn't know what to do. A simple bow would've been too... lame... but acting like a slave would've been too much. She had only about two seconds to think about it. She became nervous again. So Lilith just decided to stand on one knee while the other leg stood correctly on the ground. It was similar to the way knights greet their kings.

"Hail Lord Zambrano!" Lilith said as she raised her hand into the air like he had done.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You may rise, Lady Lancaster." Kaine then clasped his hands firmly behind his back as he studied the girl before him, and the faint signs of a smirk began to form on the edges of his mouth. "Daxton Bane spoke well of you, and who am I to deny my old master this one obligation." The cold wind battered against the two figures, but Kaine seemed relatively unaffected by the bone-chilling bite of the wind due to his heavy coat and the Force. However; the wind did tussle his long black hair, revealing more of the right side of his face, which was the exact opposite of the left side of his face. Unlike the left, which was relatively unblemished and positively handsome, the entire right side was scarred and ruined. So much of his flesh had been seared that the white of his skull was visible against what tissue was left.

"He has told me what he wants for you, but that is not what I want to hear. I want to hear what -you- want, Lady Lancaster. A Sith does not let others dictate what they want."

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

Lilith stood up and looked at the Emperor. It was cold on the planet, but not much colder than it had been on Hoth. Hoth had been terrible. The cold wind revealed the Emperor's scarred face. It was awful... But she decided not to reveal her opinion. At least not this time. "My lord, I do not wish to seem like I'm trying to overthrow you, but here is what I would like to achieve... I would like to rule the galaxy... the whole galaxy. With a powerful hand. Or someone else could do it, if I do not succeed. And I would like to learn how to do it, if you are willing to teach me," she said. Her voice vibrated. It was obvious, that she was really scared and nervous. Talking with a person so powerful was very scary. But she hoped Daxton had told the man, that she is not very experienced.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine chuckled, "So, you wish to rule the galaxy? An ambitious goal, and a very difficult one. Even with my power and influence I have no yet achieved that goal..." He said with mixed disappointment and subtle anger, although none of that directed at Lilith. In a moment after that became apparent, Kaine instantly masked away his emotions and regained the passive, yet snide, facial expression he had been wearing ever since he started talking. "Come with me, Lady Lancaster. Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish by ruling the galaxy?" He began as he started walking along the length of the perimeter of the citadel, trailed silently by the two Praetorian guards that constantly monitored the Emperor's whereabouts.

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

"It is just a thought... an opinion of mine which doesn't matter. But the galaxy lacks order. There is too much chaos. There should be peace. And that can be achieved only if the galaxy is ruled by a supreme ruler, a dictator who has absolute power to do everything they want. Of course my opinion is just a dumb one compared to you, my master Emperor." Lilith decided it was better to be shy than to talk about everything like she would've talked with a friend.

She started walking with the Emperor. It was hard to breath since hee was relly nervous. Being next to the Emperor was probably the greatest honour he has ever achieved.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Peace is a Lie, Lady Lancaster. There is only Passion. There can never be Peace in our world, there will always be fighting. But, a galaxy ruled by an Empire can exercise the stability and order needed to keep the Galaxy together from exploding into full-blown War. What the Republic fails to realize, is that their valued Freedom is far more counter-productive to a stable Galaxy than they realize. When you give people the freedom to decide things for themselves, they will eventually make a wrong decision that only further destabilizes their surroundings. That is why I have sought to control every aspect of Imperial life, so no one can make the wrong decision to destabilize my order. People are raving animals, Lady Lancaster. They need a superior being to control them, and the Sith are those beings, but even they need a true leader."

He wasn't at all pleased with Lilith's lack of self-confidence either, "And Lady Lancaster... In order to fully appreciate all that I will teach you, you just remove that lack of self-confidence I hear in your voice. Have confidence in your opinions and goals, because if you don't. No one else will."

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

"I'm sorry, my master... I just thought, that you don't like if an Apprentice talks to you with confidence," Lilith replied. I was wrong again. I can't make any more mistakes, she thought. "Indeed, there won't be peace, but stability, like you, mister Emperor, said, might be the word I wanted to use." She sighed. "Do you think the current Sith Empire is politically right? I think there's still too much freedom, I'm really sorry if I'm wrong, since the power is too separated. I understand a single person can't govern every planet, but..." She stopped. That was because she had probably made another mistake. The sentence may have sounded like an insult. I'm going to die today...

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Choice is one of the birthrights of the Sith, Lady Lancaster. The sovereign right to rule over the unenlightened masses is something we strive for, and that is why we have Sith govern the worlds. However; Sith are not above controlling other Sith, and that is why we have a specific and rigid hierarchy with more powerful Sith residing at the very top. The Emperor is the strongest, and most respected Sith within the Order, and that is how he commands so many Sith. Do not get me wrong, there will always be ambitious Sith looking to overthrow the Emperor, and to rule themselves. It is the nature of the Sith to be ambitious, and to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. I've murdered billions over the years to achieve my goal, genocide is but another tool a Sith can use. We are not like the Jedi, who needlessly limit themselves with pitiful morality. A true Sith takes what he or she wants." He paused for a moment as they reached the entrance to the massive tomb, and Kaine ushered her inside to get out of the blistering cold.

"You must be able to make such choices in the quest for absolute power and authority. Morality only slows you down, honor only slows you down. You must not be afraid to kill entire worlds, destroy families, murder unarmed woman and children. In the eyes of the Sith, restraint is weakness, and in the Sith... weakness is stamped out."

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"That might be the thing which separates us. I think all power should be held by a single person, but Sith don't think so," Lilith continued. They had reached a tomb where it was clearly warmer than it had been outside. She looked around a bit. "Is the Sith Empire actually a place where I should be? My ideals go against your ideals, my opinions clash with yours." She sighed. "But I love the Empire. It's like my home and I can't leave. I have Masters here, I have my responsibilities. Mr. Bane said, that I should find my own way. That I don't have to be here if it doesn't feel right. But I don't feel right. I would like to make my own path which has the same opinion as I do. Though at the same time... I don't want to find my path. What do you think, Mr. Emperor?"

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Hrmmmm." Kaine hummed in thought as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Perhaps you are more suited for something else, something far greater. I am always looking for recruits to serve in the Blackblade Legion, especially force sensitives unaffiliated with the Sith, to help me carry out my goals and ambitions across the Galaxy. You have great potential within you, Lilith, potential a person like me could help uncover. If I help you, and teach you my ways, will you join the Blackblades?"

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"I would love to do that, but I don't know anything about the Blackblade Legion. Who are they? Who is the leader?" Lilith asked. "What do they do?" She sighed and looked at the Sith Emperor. "And are they more like warriors or do they work with the Force?" Of course it would've been a honour to work there and she was a bit impolite, but she understood Zambrano doesn't like being too shy. Am I too brave now? she thought. She was still nervous, though as the conversation moved on, Lilith started feeling a lot better... and probably it was also because the Emperor had told her to be braver.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The Blackblade Legion is my personal army, Lilith. They serve me with absolute loyalty, and will carry out my orders no matter what they may be. The majority of the Legion are non-force sensitive warriors hardened by constant battle, and brutal training regiments. They are led by Lord Blackheart, a brutal Morellian with a penchant for murder and mayhem." He easily crafted an image of the man in question with a simple illusion spell, conjuring it to rest idly in his outstretched hand for Lilith to see. "However; there is a sect, albeit smaller, that utilizes the Force to serve me. They are called the Blackblade Praetorian Guard, and they are exclusively force sensitives. They are warriors, sorcerers, assassins, sages, scholars, and everything in between. Their tasks branch out much farther than just guarding me, although each one would give their lives for their Lord." Kaine then conjured up an image of their leader, whom was equally fierce despite being a different age and gender than the previously shown man.

"She is Lady Bellatrix, and she is the Grand Mistress of the Praetorian Guard. If you were to join, you would be selected to become part of the Praetorian Guard, where your skills and talents will be judged so that you may be put into a role you are best fitted."

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"I think I will consider joining you... But I am not a strong Force-user... I guess it's not my destiny to be a good Sith or a good Jedi," Lilith said and looked at the ground. She was sad because of the thoughts which had appeared again. She didn't like being the worst person there is in the Sith Empire... she didn't want to be really bad at the Force. But she wasn't powerful at all, so it seemed like she had to accept it.

"My Master Emperor, may I ask you a question?" the Sith Apprentice asked as she turned to the Emperor again.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You may ask your question, Lady Lancaster, and I will answer."

((Supery dupery short post, I know. I forgot about this for a moment lol))

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"] (that's fine... it's actually quite difficult for me to write something, so my posts might be a bit short too (lost my muse, probably))

"Do you think something that determines our whole life exists?" Lilith asked. It was a rather deep question, about as deep as Lilith's everyday philosophy, which she didn't show out much, was. Lilith herself believed there was something that made choices instead of people, but she didn't consider it to be something like... destiny, though recently she had come to the conclusion, that something is going on with her. She trained as much as possible, but it was impossible to become better. Maybe she was destined to be an Apprentice forever?

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine laughed, "Nothing determines my life except for me, child. As a Sith, I am the master of my own fate. I live and die by my own designs, and I will myself to become better and more powerful than my enemies. I must outmatch their will to kill and destroy me, and you must do the same. You can't become stronger if you don't have the will, but everyone has that will. It's up to them whether or not they decide to actually act upon it." A tad odd set of words coming from a Sith, but they were the truth.

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

"So I have a weak will?" Lilith asked. She was a bit offended and felt bad, but showing it out would've been something she'd regret. The best idea was to get over it as soon as possible. Though it was difficult and maybe the Sith Emperor even noticed it.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Only if you allow yourself to be weak willed, there's always a choice. I did not become as powerful as I am with a weak will, I had the drive to be ambitious. The will to succeed and rise through the ranks of the Empire when it was in it's infancy, I started out as a normal Intelligence Agent, but look at me now... The Emperor of Ten Thousand Worlds. You too can become great, you only have to believe in your own abilities, and push the limits of you mind, body, and spirit. The Dark Side does not look fortunately on the weak."

@[member="Lilith Mae Lancaster"]