Private History

[Rinea]

Things changed after Rothana.

The spy who would go around hidden and alone had such little luxury now that she headed the new council that governed the Eternal Union remnant.

However, the construction of 'Gravemind' gave Kaila Irons a means in and out of the Union's deepest institution. Perhaps it was odd for the Director to find such close associations with a mercenary, but things were far too busy for anyone else to pay such close attention.

The Dark Lord was invited not aboard a corvette, but the war cruiser UNV Valiant Spear, which was recently turned over to UNICOM for reasons that confused and upset the admiralty. Regardless, the Chiss awaited her arrival in personal quarters, where she insisted the mercenary be led by a familiar mouse droid and without escort.

The quarters were much bigger than the corvette's, with more space dedicated to professional endeavors. An office, a small armory within a personal training room, and living quarters.

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

The fleet was growing.

And on her payroll, no doubt.

It was one thing knowing you were funding what could easily become the enemy of your nation, but to see them up close and personal? The guards which begrudgingly parted for her had no idea the armored behemoth played such a vital role in their survival, nor that one of their strongest enemies walked among them. The Sith were likewise ignorant of the small treasons she committed every day to keep an eye on their enemies, with the Eternal Union's help.

She paused at the doorway, wondering just how bad it would be this time.

* hiss *

"You summoned me, Director?" she asked with a subtle bite of sarcasm.

The door hissed shut behind her and she was quick to activate the lock on her way in, already glancing in search of cameras.

It always felt strange speaking to... friends... through a mask.

 

[Rinea]

Rinea stood from her desk as soon as the door opened.

"You summoned me, Director?" she asked with a subtle bite of sarcasm.

"Yes," her expression and tone were serious, not that it was unusual for her. "I just wanted to see how obedient you were. You may leave now," she said without skipping a beat.

She let it linger for a moment before the slight smirk curled at the corner of her mouth. "Just kidding... of course."

She gestured with both arms as if she were ready to carry the whole universe in them, though naturally her gesture was towards the ship.

The Director brought her arms down, folded her hands behind her back, and sauntered with soldier-perfect posture towards the Sith. She stopped with a diplomatic amount of space between them, though Rinea's right foot was further ahead than her left, perhaps as a reminder that she could move into Kaila's bubble at a moment's notice.

"So, what do you think?" She leaned a little forward as she spoke, and her tone was uncharacteristically cheerful, even if the familiar smugness lay beneath it.

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"Hmh." she crossed her arms at Rinea's teasing.

She was one of very few she allowed to, even.

"It's... roomy." she hummed, tilting her head at the jovial chiss.

Her mask was pulled away as she stepped forward, exposing the faint smile on her lips as golden eyes languidly drank in the scenery a second time, free of the earlier caution.

"We're moving up in the world, Bodr'ine'ako, and it's starting to show."

An almost wistful sigh.

"But I know you."

Kaila griptioned the mask to her belt rather than set it aside on the desk, because she knew she'd need it sooner or later.

"You wouldn't ring for a social call."

 

[Rinea]

"It is a little roomy, yes."

Rinea scoffed. "You call this moving up?"

She was only half-serious, though she proceeded to complain away, and ignored the rest of what Kaila said.

"Linegrave--you remember the one? Or at least I believe you've crossed paths after you carried out that business for me." Rinea walked back to her desk and pulled out a cigarra. One of those Kaila bought her as a gift.

She held it between two fingers as she sauntered back over, yapping the whole way.

"Though I suppose I shouldn't be calling her that anymore. Prime Axis. Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces." Jealousy, from her.

"Well, they gave her that battlecruiser you fought on. Flagship of the fleet, Pillar of Inheritance. Has a ring to it. If I wanted, I could have bullied the admiralty out of a Star Destroyer. No, this ship isn't mine, I'm just borrowing it for the time."

She began to lean towards Kaila, ready for a light, but then she pulled back to continue her long-winded rant.

"Oh, and you know what I get? Well, I'm Director of the Intelligence Commission. Technically, that makes me a senior member of the central body, but we don't have one. After High Command decided to get massacred, they formed the Second Emergency Governing Council, of which I was appointed Chair. Oh, and of course it's senior officers only, so technically I'm a Vice Admiral now, but Director supercedes that." She sighed.

Finally, she put the smoke between her lips and leaned in. "Please?'

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"Oh, you mean the woman I'm going to kill when next we meet?" Kaila gave a clenched smile.

"Good to put a name to the old hag."

She cleared her throat, trying her best to remain civil instead of asking how she should go about murder whilst Rinea went to fetch a cigarra. All the while her brow rose and rose as the chiss did something she'd never done before;

Talk about her work life.

Not a briefing nor threat assessment, just idle chatter about office politics.

Finally, she put the smoke between her lips and leaned in. "Please?'

"Now hang on," she pulled her glove between her teeth.

"myou're not ushually sho chatty."

Finally her blackened fingers were on display, the marking having grown since last they spoke, inching closer to the knuckle. But just like always, a little handle flame would sprout from her fingertip as she lit the woman's cigarra.

Still holding the glove between her teeth, she started digging in her belt for a box of her own.

"Anehway you're tchelling me I gave that old c***t a batchlecruiser?"

Kaila rarely swore.

 

[Rinea]

"Oh, please don't go picking fights with my people. Not unless I ask, anyway."

Rinea dragged the cigarra as if it were her first in a while. It was fun to hear her with her mouth full. Really lightened the mood.

"Anehway you're tchelling me I gave that old c***t a batchlecruiser?"

"Not just any battlecruiser. Those main guns--all four--are basically big rotaries of several dozen projectors, each firing two energy torpedoes a second... per projector. If you stood on a moon orbiting a world, one of these things could cross that distance in less than 10 seconds."

She sighed in an unusually satisfied way. "I'd say there I go spilling state secrets, but the design isn't ours."

"So really," she smirked. "You gave her a big fucking fleet shredder."

Her tone changed again. Dour. "A good prize. All of it, honestly, but Rothana was an operational failure."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"Tchell her nowt to jeapordish my mission then." Kaila growled.

Eventually she found her box of Fiora cigarras, fiddling for one of the little things as they conversed.

Golden eyes met crimson as the chiss described what sounded dangerously close to an old cannon she'd heard of in the Kainite archives once. Something she never thought she'd see in person.

"Hellbores?" she questioned.

Her freckled cheeks became red with mutual jealousy.

"Well... when do I get one?"

She went back to riffling through her cigarras, pulling the stick out and inspecting it between her blackened fingers.

"I'm practchically paying ferthe damn thing."

Her tone changed again. Dour. "A good prize. All of it, honestly, but Rothana was an operational failure."

She glanced up again.

"Wha??"

 

[Rinea]

Rinea looked over to her, then narrowed her eyes. It was cute, but...

She yanked the glove away and tucked it into her collar. "Oh, Kaila, there are better trophies than a few interesting guns." She teased.

Though the light-hearted mood was once again replaced. "We scored a shipyard. Good. We have a manufacturing base. Good. But now we have an entire planet to look after, on top of our people."

"Solved one problem at the expense of letting another fester... The Eternal Union is dead, Kaila. At least the one we're familiar with," she declared. "We can't continue to operate the way we always have. This is a new galaxy, with new problems. Different people."

There was a cold anger to the way she spoke, and she began to pace. The way she dragged the cigarra harder, chasing the mild high rather than the experience. "Our survival is... less than consequential, in the grand scheme of things, but our gift?"

She stopped, turned, and moved closer to the Sith. There was a strange euphoria in her eyes despite the heaviness of the topic.

"I invited you here to show you something."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"If you wanted to touch my lips you could've just asked." she rolled her eyes.

But then the tone changed again. That deceleration especially, it gave the young Darth pause. Rinea was a stubborn beast, far too dedicated to a cause, even at the expense of her own life. To hear that cause declared dead?

Kaila took a long drag from her cigarette, watching the woman pace.

She knew to pay attention when Rinea paced.

"Our survival is... less than consequential, in the grand scheme of things, but our gift?"

She stopped, turned, and moved closer to the Sith. There was a strange euphoria in her eyes despite the heaviness of the topic.

"I invited you here to show you something."

Something about that look... it creased her cheeks.

"I don't like the way you talk." she exhaled, smoke on her lips as she mirrored exactly what Rinea once told her.

"It makes me uncomfortable. Concerned for you."

Another, faster, drag as she glanced elsewhere.

"But... I know you've got a plan B... and C."

 

[Rinea]

"Just look," she sighed. "For once, just see with those eyes before making up your mind."

Rinea activated a holoprojector after a brief search.

An unknown man's voice: "X7-83B47. Subject's body was recovered 14 hours ago. Preliminary results show that the escape pod drifted too close to the star. There is significant radiation damage, normal resuscitation is... unviable."

She skipped ahead. "--Brain integrity is 89.9%. Subject consented to revival protocols, and viability is acceptable. Command approved. Senior medical officer Sed Tan assigned and reporting."

Skipped again. "Week 49. Subject recovery is ahead of schedule. There has been minimal rejection by the body. Stimulated cell growth, gene therapy, and synthetic replacements have proved successful. She has been cleared for reinstatement pending medical approval."

Rinea paused the recording and took a long drag and exhaled. The smoke caused the hologram to shimmer, then she stepped through it.

"X7 was an experimental project within SYNSTAT. The goal is to regenerate and restore brain tissue following 'death.' It's not as miraculous as it sounds. Too much tissue damage and it's a moot point. I got lucky; brain integrity must be at least 87.3% for viability.

"I'm not a ghost, Kaila, but you've seen me die once, and now you know I've died twice. Like I said, no miracles. No bargains. Just..."

She took another drag and blew. "Sovereign Code. Cybernetic-paternalism. Absolute power wielded by the principles of science. Wielded to uplift the masses. Feed the starving. Heal the sick. An end to barbarism. An end to feudalism. Post-scarcity. Post-capital."

The chiss sauntered closer, each step slower than the last. She leaned in to whisper as ash dripped from her hand.

"I know you're skeptical, but touch me... Feel me. I am not a ghost. I am a glimpse at a better world."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"...Hrmh..." another drag while she watched the holo.

X7 sounded like a lost cause at first, earning little more than a begrudging stare whilst Kaila chipped away at her cig. Then a fluke, which raised her brow. Then a... miracle.

"I'm not a ghost, Kaila, but you've seen me die once, and now you know I've died twice. Like I said, no miracles. No bargains. Just..."

The cigarette fell from her mouth.

Every step Rinea took was like watching something which should not exist, but to no small relief, did anyway. Maybe she was no feat of the force, but it was a damn good magic trick all the same, the closest she'd ever seen a non-Sith achieve to waking the dead. There was no way she should have come back from that, and yet...

Kaila reached out, tracing the contour of Rinea's sharp cheeks and jaw.

"Is that why you care so little for your survival?" she murmured, almost mournfully.

"And why you sound so zealous right now? Because they can bring you back."

Her thumb drew in a gentle circle.

"Because they brought you back?"

 

[Rinea]

"No," she said flatly. "Because this is the kind of power that we achieved."

Rinea's foot stepped on the cigarra and put it out, leaned in slightly as the woman touched her.

"What they did to me was... Fortunate, promising, but it's not like we were ready to cure the galaxy of death. Even if we could, we wouldn't."

The Chiss put out her own cigarra next, leaving the remains of both smashed next to each other on the floor. She backed out of Kaila's touch, then circled towards the holoprojector.

"My point was, we cannot bring Sovereign Code to this galaxy and hope to cure it of all its problems. At least, not without understanding those problems first. We need to be at the root of it, where all revolutions begin. Defying death doesn't happen in ignorance."

She switched the projector to showcase The Slice--Black Sun territory. "The underworld."

"The Eternal Union was founded by a Moff, but all he did was leverage the oppressed. It began with a crime."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"Wouldn't?" she quirked a brow.

That was absurd, even to a sith like her. Why not eliminate death itself if they had the means? What society that did not thrive on control—oh. That was exactly it, wasn't it.

Her fingers curled against thin air as Rinea stepped away, almost longingly.

And then came the briefing, the thing she'd always known would happen. She'd predicted from the moment she stepped aboard that this was no social call and she was right as always.

Her features settled into an accepting sort of frown as the map came up.

"Black Sun." she recognized The Slice on instinct now.

Fingers gloved and bare threaded behind her back, as golden eyes drifted sidelong at the chiss.

"You wanted me here for my criminal past..."

Then back to the projection.

"My connections... another business venture, or special operation, perhaps."

 

[Rinea]

The officer reached out and poked the Sith on her forehead.

"Ever the cynic," she quipped. "You're not seeing the picture, Kaila, but that's my fault."

"I am ever a poor orator," she sighed dramatically.

Rinea brought up visualized data. "The Black Sun's activities have diverted trade in the Outer Rim. It's created an interesting quagmire in the independent regions between Black Sun, Republic, and Sith space. Especially with the War in the Core, I suspect more interests will move this way."

It was a novice conclusion that any economist would arrive at. But inside all that ease was the possibility for something clever.

"Now, tell me about the Blackwall. What is it really?" Rinea had asked once before, in the earlier days of knowing the Dark Lord, and back then, she wasn't so keen on telling the Chiss much at all.

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"Agh!" Kaila glared at her, crossing her arms.

Rinea was the only one who could do that without fear of losing the finger.

Rolling her eyes, the young Darth turned her attention to the onscreen data. It was all old news to her, data she'd already taken advantage of in her own dealings.

"Yes, I'm turning it into a profit right now, working on a deal with one of their Vigos. Rogue sith, real big woman, calls herself Mercy . I'd appreciate it if your operatives kept my contact out of their sights."

"Frakk me, it's probably going to turn into an alliance against the Republic though, on account of..."

A sigh, too strained not to be personal.

"...of Naboo..."

"Now, tell me about the Blackwall. What is it really?"

"What? what does that...?"

No, no surely didn't know about that. This had to be related to that Black Sun and underworld business.

She supposed this couldn't hurt anymore than funding the whole damn fleet.

"Well, it's complicated," she began, holding out her palms for emphasis.

"You see the Physical Blackwall, you don't see the information Blackwall."

"The outer Blackwall is a complex labyrinth of modified Stormseeds, Sorcery induced hyperspace-anomalies, and enchanted kill-fields. Nearly impossible to breach from the outside."

Spoken as much of a warning as a scholarly fascination of hers.

Until she leaned the other way, and her tone grew darker, more hesitant.

"The inner Blackwall is... it's a tool for controlling the Sith, not just our enemies. We have our own holonet, news from outside does not reach the interior save for what the Legions bring home, or traders to my city. This prevents most of us from bringing in outside support to bear against our rivals, or The Emperor."

"I would argue that since it's recent completion, many Sith now live in utter ignorance of the outside."

"Admittedly..." she began rubbing the back of her hand.

"It has been most lucrative, for me personally."

 

[Rinea]

Kaila's revelations have always been most pleasing for the Chiss.

Rinea reveled in the moments where she could simply listen as the Dark Lord spoke, and learn more, perhaps than what the Sith ever intended to reveal. It wasn't her fault, nor did the officer expect the woman's ignorance anymore, but it was a benefit she saw in their relationship nonetheless.

The mention of Mercy reminded her of a separate point she wished to make, though until now she wasn't aware the two were familiar, but it wasn't time to skip ahead.

"The outer Blackwall is a complex labyrinth of modified Stormseeds, Sorcery induced hyperspace-anomalies, and enchanted kill-fields. Nearly impossible to breach from the outside."

Interesting.

Rinea knew there was a physical component to it, but until today, she never knew why the routes were so difficult. Interdiction was her first guess... But the Force being used to disrupt hyperspace itself? Clever. Terrifying.

Though the 'nearly' in 'nearly impossible' was promising. Again, it wasn't time to skip ahead.

The inner Blackwall is... it's a tool for controlling the Sith, not just our enemies. We have our own holonet, news from outside does not reach the interior save for what the Legions bring home, or traders to my city. This prevents most of us from bringing in outside support to bear against our rivals, or The Emperor."

This was the part she suspected all along. Such localized nets are never unheard of in such regimes. The Sith may've had the strangeness and madness that their great power wrought, but a dictatorship is a dictatorship is a dictatorship. No amount of flair, title, or raw manifestation of strength changed that nature.

"It has been most lucrative, for me personally."

"Because of your very special port?" She asked. "And I assume this would now be lucrative for the Black Sun, surely?"

Rinea emoted with her hands as she spoke. "I mean... An entirely controlled space. Walls and you're a gatekeeper. Inside a paradise for those who play in the shadows. Those who have been starved of information, entertainment, specialty goods... I am sure it comes with many power imbalances, especially among the Sith."

She wondered... "To the rest of the galaxy, criminal enterprises tend to cause a certain friction. Inside your Empire? Why, I can only imagine the 'lessers' would be elated to have access to things again."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

"I don't like to call them that." Kaila glanced away again.

"But... yes... playing the game of politics and favor with the Dark Council has afforded me a great deal of influence and resources, which I've been using to amass support to stunt rivals."

"Activities which are due to increase shortly."

There was a certain, begrudging pride in that last statement as she held her chin higher. Darth Anathemous had fought tooth and nail to survive. Now? she was thriving.

"Black Sun will turn a profit of course, the local gangs have had no competition and worse—sponsorships—which means they are complacent and woefully unprepared for a foreign syndicate of Black Sun's magnitude."

"While I take my cut and smuggle 50% of the earnings out, Invest it in my offshore accounts and business fronts—which other sith don't have—and nobody will do a damn thing to stop me because I'll just use those profits to strengthen their rivals on my payroll."

Clap. her hands came together.

"And I get to do all of this while improving living conditions and funding your pet projects."

"That's the kind of money I wield from this arrangement."

She even checked her blackened nails.

 

[Rinea]

"Activities which are due to increase shortly."

She raised a brow at that.

Rinea listened as Kaila explained her would-be relationship with the Black Sun.

"Black Sun will turn a profit of course, the local gangs have had no competition and worse—sponsorships—which means they are complacent and woefully unprepared for a foreign syndicate of Black Sun's magnitude."

It was that very 'magnitude' which bothered her the most.

"And I get to do all of this while improving living conditions and funding your pet projects."

"That's the kind of money I wield from this arrangement."

"Is that all?" She almost scoffed.

"It's a good plan," she mused aloud. "But..." And of course there was, "I've seen how the Black Sun operates at a glance. So I know I'm not telling you anything new when I say they will flirt with every Sith as soon as they begin to fester beyond the Blackwall. They'll go for the easiest people in power, that they can control in the easiest ways."

Rinea began to circle the Sith. "And while in some ways you are easy... We both know you're nothing but difficult when it comes to negotiating power. Your strengths are the very thing they detest--they fear power with principles, and enough wit and pride not to be manipulated."

"I'm sure you can already imagine half a dozen Sith they could get to for less. And only one of them has to be as powerful as you, let alone more."

She stopped with her back to Kaila. Her head turned so she might look back over her shoulder.

"You need to outplay them. Take control. Set up a syndicate within Sith Space itself. The Black Sun won't have territory, but they can negotiate with you and yours." There was a ferocity to her tone and cadence. A side of Rinea that said one thing: this was her battlefield.

"You'll have to destroy some competition, of course. To show them that accepting your terms is the easy path. Be difficult, and feed them well."

Kaila Irons

 

[Kaila Irons]

// CODENAME: GRAVEMIND //
Wearing: Power Armor
Tags: Rinea

She paused.

A the nails she was checking found themselves dragging along her scalp.

"Oh. frak me." she sighed.

This reminded her so much of the assembly on Terminus, the very thing that got her this power in the first place. Kaila's plan had been less than perfect, and would've remained such if not for the woman who made up for her political failings in those days. She was a warrior, not a schemer.

And without her...

She felt only half a Sith.

That's what Rinea was doing right now, being the other half. She turned to her with a frown.

"No, no, you're right."

The young Darth pulled another cigarra from her satchel, quick to light, even quicker to drag. Her brows furrowed deep in thought, compiling lists of underworld connections, territories she could take, rivals to decimate or turn to her cause. Perhaps it was time for the Red Ronin Club to make a comeback in sith space.

Though on the subject of helpers...

"Why are you helping me...?" she narrowed her eyes on the chiss.

Another quick puff as she walked over.

"This benefits the Union," she realized.

"How?"