Populate Humbarine Epilogue | TSC Populate of Giju

[Meya Liefi]

Tag: Varin Mortifer​

Meya regarded him for a moment after the questions had been asked. There was no immediate answer. Instead, she set the half-finished glass upon a nearby table before turning.

Her footsteps carried her towards the doors overlooking the gardens beyond the celebration.

"If you wish to speak with me further," she continued, "accompany me to the northern gardens."

Should Varin choose to follow, the sounds of the gathering steadily faded behind them. Lanterns became fewer, separated by stretches of moonlit stone and carefully tended hedges.

After a handful of heartbeats passed, one of her slender hands lifted between them.

Nothing dramatic announced what followed. No chant. No flourish. A single droplet of translucent emerald liquid formed above her open palm. Light caught within it strangely as ribbons of jade and deeper viridian twisted slowly through the suspended sphere, as though the liquid possessed currents of its own.

In its presence, nearby leaves blackened. A flower folded inward upon itself and its petals shrivelled before they touched the ground.

"My research rarely concerns the Force in its most conventional applications," she said, her golden eyes resting upon the hovering droplet rather than the reaction it provoked.

"There are already countless practitioners capable of moving stones, hurling lightning, or repeating techniques refined over thousands of years."

Only then did her gaze rise to meet his. "I find greater value in asking what has not yet been attempted." There was no pride in the explanation, only quiet certainty.

With the smallest movement of her index finger, the suspended liquid dissolved into nothing, leaving only a faint hiss as it vanished into the cool night air.

"The Covenant has granted me access to archives, relics, and knowledge that would have remained beyond my reach otherwise." She lowered her hand. "In return, I permit them to understand a portion of what those resources allow me to discover."

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace | Cross Guard Broadsaber​

Varin walked with her towards the gardens, his gaze wandering around the area as they moved to a different area of the mansion before them. When she summoned the green energy within her palm his gaze fixated on it for a moment.

He had seen something similar to this power. Though only in color. His gaze caught the decay of nearby plants as if the energy were sapping it away, unknown if it were by design or if it were a side effect. He remained silent during her explanation, a power that resembled something new.

“It almost resembles the same sorcery as the Nightsisters.”

His voice came quietly, only reaching her ears, though he did not care who heard him beyond that.

“Knowledge in exchange for knowledge. Sounds befitting.”

When the green energy dissipated he kept his eyes on her, though he made no move of offense, something in the back of his mind told him to be ready for it just in case.

“Does this have to do with the experiments that you performed on that family?”

He remembered that night clearly. The abominations that laid within tubes and embalming fluids. The stale stagnant air that accompanied the room and its very nature.

“Or is that something else?”

He paused.

“Feel free to ask me a question if you wish. Not everything is given freely and I assume you have your own questions as well.”

Meya Liefi​

 

[Astra Sadow]

"You can call me Mistress if you like," so many decadent Sith Lords and Ladies did like the sound of that, "but Chairwoman Sadow in the Board Room and Miss Sadow or Ma'am elsewhere would suffice." Astra had once been called Master, and she wasn't against it, but present circumstances were better suited for less arcane titles.

Astra was curious if there'd be any reaction to her last name. Oh, Corporate types were utterly oblivious, of course. But Sith? Well, most of them were as well, but that was a failing of their own Masters and the Masters before them. Still, gentle recognition. Wary recognition. Doubtful recognition. Outrage. Something she wanted to cry at times. With all these people coming out of cryo sleep or temporal breaks you'd think someone would wonder about the impossible.

Well, that Sadow wouldn't be content playing Corporate Overlord. Not that Astra lacked ambition, but ruling an Enterprise wasn't for just anyone.

"So, why don't you tell me what the next step is on your personal ambitions, and I will make certain your education is as fruitful as you expect." There was, after all, so much Astra could teach Eurydice. But the young were impatient. Best to give her a taste of something she wanted, mix in those she didn't see a need for, and hopefully she'd learn the truly important stuff before the galaxy lured her away.

Eurydice​

 

[Eurydice]

Eurydice nodded slowly. She never quite liked Master or Mistress, but the galaxy didn’t often take her preferences into consideration. Chairwoman or Miss, she could do.

Sadow stirred something faint in the recesses of her mind. She’d been a diligent book learner, and had taken well to Nefaron’s lessons on Sith history and anthropology. It took a few long moments for the proper synapses to connect.

Of course she was descended from a powerful Sith Lord. The Dark side was no stranger to lineage, ancestral or forged. The realization made Eurydice a little more uncomfortable than she already was, dark lashes sweeping low as her gaze averted itself again into her drink.

“My ambitions?” she mumbled, perhaps sounding a little bitter in her discomfort. As if remembering who she was speaking to, Eurydice sat up straight and steadied her posture.

“I would like to learn more about how your enterprise works. And others, too. I like knowing what makes things tick from the inside out.”

As they said, knowledge was power.

Astra Sadow

 

[Astra Sadow]

Astra's dark lashes fell hiding half of burnt gaze from view as Eurydice seemed to react to her name. Was it recognition? Belief? It wasn't angered disbelief, anyway. It would be delightful if she knew something of those times. It'd at least speak well of whoever setup her education track.

"I expect nothing less, Eurydice. Small outfits claim to need hard workers because there aren't enough people to pick up the slack, but an Enterprise like mine needs hard workers because we've a galaxy to manage and countless factions that would derail our programs as much out of negligible as malice." There wasn't room on the payroll for seat-warmers.

"Well, there'll be plenty of opportunity on Humbarine. Keeping the local leaders in order while thoughts percolate about taking advantage of broken hierarchies. Establishing supply lines and safeguards to keep them from being pillaged. Prioritizing what gets rebuilt and where resources are doled out to facilitate those projects. None of that may sound enticing now, but once you're in the mess I think you'll find more than enough intellectual stimulation." At a certain point it became muscle memory and one stopped truly learning something new... if one were trapped on Humbarine. Astra was certain Eurydice could be exposed to enough to stay engaged. Here, and elsewhere.