Private Industry Secrets

[Corazona von Ascania]

Kaal
Moonside Resort​

Nestled between the borders of two galactic powers was the picturesque, tropical planet of Kaal.

Always wary of potential trouble on their margins, the Alliance had gotten wind of shady dealings on the resort world. Low-level crime was given on most planets, even those with the most polished of images - but something darker was lurking beneath the immaculate surface of Kaal.

The rumors were strong enough to warrant a Jedi Knight's investigation. Not as a robe-wearing monk, and sadly, not even posing as a vacationing guest.

"That's one Red Dwarf, one Tatooine Sunrise, and uhh…"

Corazona had imagined that pretending to be a wealthy patron, given her upbringing and adjoining mannerisms, would have been easier than pretending to be a server.

How hard could serving drinks be, really? As it turned out, far harder than she'd imagined - the orders were complicated, arrived too quickly for her to keep up with, and the some of the customers were…difficult.

Cora balanced the tray on her shoulder, placing a glass of spiced orange liquid in front a lavishly dressed middle aged man. This section of the resort only catered to the most affluent of individuals, and the three men she was serving were thought to have ties to Kaal's seedy underbelly.

All seemed well until the gentleman suddenly spit out his drink.

"Wha- this isn't a Sonic Serodriver!"

"Oh-" Cora blanched "I must've - I might have put your order in wrong. I apologize, allow me bring you-"

Before she could finish, the disgruntled patron tossed the remainder of his drink her way, which she managed to sidestep the most of. A few streaks of orange still landed on the crisp white collar of her uniform.

The trio didn't bother to hold back their snickering, and her lower eyelid twitched just once.

"Bring me a Sonic Serodriver. A Sonic Serodriver, I'll say it slow for you - understand, girl?"

"Yes, Sir." Cora ground through the tightest smile she'd ever worn, quietly restraining her urge beat him with the plastoid serving tray. "One Sonic Serodriver."

She stiffly made her way back to the bar.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Kaal was...

Kaal was many things.

A Rakatan colony if old histories were to be believed, a minor world ruled by the Brotherhood of Darkness centuries after that, part of the old Galactic Republic, part of Darth Sidious' Galactic Empire.

It seemed every new millennium, Kaal would find itself ruled by a new master.

This millennium was proving to be no different, as it found itself at the precipice of conflict between the Jedi of the Galactic Alliance, and the Sith of the Sith Empire, as the opening salvo of a new great war rippled across the galaxy, so did both sides look for advantage, in any way they could manage.

And as all knew in the art of war, before one sent the cavalry.

They sent out the scouts.

Malum found himself at the command of quite a bit more than simply scouts, he was in command of spies, informants, and assassins, across the empire, and beyond to the wider galaxy, it meant in this opening stage of this grand drama with the galaxy acting as stage, he would play a critical role.

Perhaps that was why, he now found himself standing behind the counter, exuding an aura that was most unlike his, blue eyes glaring down as he wiped down a sticky and alcoholic surface with a wettened rag, an activity decidedly above him, but there was much above him, and he would so endure silently and without complaint.

At least without vocal complaint.

There had certainly been a sort of complaining ever since he had begun his... 'shift', the fact that said... 'shift', had only begun a mere few minutes ago was far from his mind, as already it felt like he had spent far too much time here.

Yet, as ever, the things he did for the empire.

Still, he supposed, even after he had to personally investigate this world, as the Tsis'Kaar found themselves still in recovery after the long-ago Ouroboros Crisis, of all the places which its Lord had to visit, this was perhaps the best conditioned to accept his arrival. Of all the allegiances which Kaal had held, none of them truly described what Kaal was.

Really... its tropical climate, its archipelagos structure, its deep blue oceans, he had been to many Kaals in his life. And even though he was not much a fan of the heat, nor the water, he was much more at home in the cool depths of a building's interior, nursing a book rather than a drink, or at the very least a drink that was more of a... dark colour, rather than the opposite, he could appreciate them rarely.

Of course, Kaal was unique in the fact that for all those which he had seen in his life, Kaal might have held all of them within its atmosphere, for what was unique about Kaal, was that it was a planet entirely of such environs.

A pleasure den of hedonism if he had ever seen one, though he supposed a particular type of pleasure den, in reality, he had not seen such libertine establishments in his time here, even if for his role they would have been rather useful, alas, it would his his agents which would infiltrate such places, while he himself...

...He was here.

Serving drinks to those who considered themselves superior simply because of the amount of credits within their accounts.

And that in this role he had assumed, it would make him need to act subordinate to them, when in reality nothing could be further from the case.

He let out a sigh, as the chatter of the bar continued to fill his ears, that oh-so-familiar, yet entirely distinct sound of tens of voices all speaking at once such that you could not deny it was all conversation, but the exact words which were uttered were entirely lost on you.

"Sounds like someone wants a Sonic Serodriver," His... temporary manager's voice was able to break through the simultaneous everything and nothing, Malum quirking an eyebrow at the order, but saying nothing more, as he began to grab glasses and the necessary drinks.

He would not claim to be any good at the role.

But he was serviceable enough... perhaps.

He had after all watched many bartenders in his life do activities similar.

He had drank a lot in his relatively short life.

Oh sure, he had broken several glasses...

...And several bottles...

...And did have to mind trick his erstwhile superior into forgetting tha- those incidents.

He was not that bad.

Thus he brought out the ice, mixed, and shook, and at the end, there was a drink that was serviceable, or more broadly put, he would certainly drink it without any complaints.

Ringing the bell, and gazing up, a glimmer of a smile on his face, as he knew he had completed the order before the ticket was even required.

"One Sonic Serodrive-"

He saw blue eyes.

And the smile fell off his face.

His own blue narrowed.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Fortunately, a busboy was quick to approach the spill with a rag and cleaner. Cora gave him an appreciative, apologetic glance as she made her way back towards the bar.

Double fortunately, the bartender seemed to be quicker on his feet. No sooner had she approached the counter did he have the Sonic Serodriver ready. Cora smiled in thanks, a preemptive expression as she slipped her hand around the glass. Shift change had only been a few minutes ago, but there was something strikingly familiar about the pair of blue eyes that stared back at her own.

Their pleasant expressions fell in perfect unison.

Intense. There was something so intense in the bartender's demeanor, and it took Cora a few moments longer to piece the man together. Blue eyes and a tinge of the Light in his aura – when she'd assaulted him with Force Light on Jedha, had it truly had such a lingering impact?

Probably not, especially for a Sith Lord that ranked so highly in his Order. Something else was afoot here. Something that sent a surge of unrepentant anger through her.

Cr-crack!

The glass fractured in Cora's hand, slicing into her palm. She kept her eyes locked on Malum, her lips moving cold and slow.

"Why are you here?"

Her grip was still clamped tightly around the glass as it leaked. She ignored the sting of mixed fruit juice and alcohol on the laceration of her hand.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Of course, it had to be her, the galaxy did have to play its little games did it not? Or more aptly that all-so-powerful force within the galaxy... indeed within the universe. But this was too much, why place in front of him, the singular person who held him in utter and entire confusion, whose every feeling burned with the contradiction of not only what he should feel, but too, how he should act.

His Sith Sword was not with him, for all which he could act, all which he could keep hidden, having a Sith Sword strapped on his back, though he might be able to hide it from view, working with it, would prove far more difficult than it was worth. Indeed, why should he? Yes, Kaal might have been on the border, and yes, some influence of the Alliance might have been felt here.

But not perhaps the one Jedi that would recognise him!

He had his lightsabres beneath his uniform at least, he had not decided to fully disarm himself, yet there was a quiet unease of being without the blade his apprentice had crafted him, even if he had learned to use lightsabres his entire life, and in comparison to use the Sith Sword had been a wild adjustment.

In the face of all which had changed, it was cold comfort that even the small things had too.

His eyes drifted down to the sound of cracking glass, blue eyes softening as blood mixed with juice and alcohol.

Why did she confuse him even now?

"Oi, I'm going to take my thirty minutes," He shouted over to his 'manager', the bar was quiet enough, and ignoring her question, he tilted his head over to her bleeding hand.

Said 'manager' was quick to see his point, waving him off, with a gaze that shouted at him to take care of it.

Blue eyes met blue, the coldness, the purposefulness, the anger, all was felt and seen. He could not even be certain if he intended to fight here and now, barreling over the counter to take him down.

At the very least, if there was a duel, he wished to avoid it here, he turned, even as his face still locked on hers, "...If you wish to find out, come with me." All the while he wondered why, his mind was affixed at the idea of tending to that bloodied hand.

Wondered why his amulet burned hot against his chest.

Corazona von Ascania
Mentioned: Darth Dekaltis

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

In the short span of a few moments, this mission had gone from irritating to downright dangerous.

Kaal sat on the border of Alliance and Sith space, so there always was a chance for a Darksider to be skulking around Moonside Resort. She just didn't expect it to be one that she'd recognized – and one who seemed to clocked her just as quick. That either made things easier, or infinitely more complicated.

Malum announced that he was taking his thirty minutes, and Cora sputtered in disbelief.

"You're taking a br-"

"...If you wish to find out, come with me."

That shut her up quickly. Again, in sheer disbelief. The alcohol started to sting against the cuts on her hand, and Cora drew in a heavy breath. She exhaled and steadied herself.

Instead of immediately following Malum, she poured what remained of the Tatooine Sunrise down the sink and deposited the broken glassware in the garbage with a grumble of displeasure. At the very least, he hadn't attacked her on sight – though she didn't rule it out as an eventuality. With her free hand, Cora patted the saber hooked to her uniform beneath her apron, then fished a dishrag from her pocket. She pressed the cloth to the palm of her hand and curled her injured fingers around it, wincing, and made for the back room.

As soon as the door swung closed, she wasted no time.

"Why, exactly, is a Lord of the Sith tending bar?"

She clicked her tongue, unamused.

"And what in Ashla's name is wrong with your eyes?"

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Her protests were as sharp as they were quietened, apparently his explanation enough to assuage her concern... though he highly doubted that, more likely his explanation providing enough of bait, that was both impossible for her to ignore the possibility, all the while, providing her with the exact opportunity to take them to a certain privacy, safety for the patrons around them.

Not that he would wish any harm befall them, but, sometimes those fears that the Jedi held of them did come in use.

Still, as he left the crowded bar, to the back hallways, and the breakroom, he knew that Cora had not yet followed, what she was doing, remained a mystery, however... for a reason he could not place, even beyond the fact that he knew she could not stand leaving him unsupervised, he knew, that she would be here soon.

It was a good fortune then, as he leaned against a table, in the relatively sparse room in which he now occupied, that would make for a makeshift meeting place, was so deserted. There would be no good for any witnesses to be present for all which could come next.

Though, what exactly that was, he could hardly say. He could imagine, it had not been the first time they had crossed blades, and as much as he would have liked to avoid that, to not consider the possibility, would be far more foolish than what was permissible for even him. Though, speaking of that previous encounter...

...Much still was lost to him.

In both mind and body. Perhaps, that was what this was for, for the only one who could possibly know what had truly happened at Jedha.

For one who might know where his apprentice was.

Perhaps that was a fool's hope, but... it would not be the first time that Malum played the fool.

Blue eyes snapped to the door, as she emerged forth, the door snapping closed, heralding the wake of emotion-filled words.

...And he was not entirely sure what to say to them.

"...I could ask the same, does your Alliance leave you so destitute, that Jedi Knights are forced to be servers... far from befitting a Princess," Malum countered, with feigned narrowed eyes, her second set of words...

...Far more difficult to answer.

"I should be offended, I am told my eyes are one of my greatest qualities," Such was said, when his eyes were a different colour, but whether crimson or oceanic depths, they called to all who witnessed.

He pushed himself off the table, cautiously, taking a step forward, noting the makeshift bandage for her wound, as a hand fell into his uniform, pulling out a bottle of water, the one which went a long way to sustaining him during his shift.

"Now tell me how that happened, have you even washed it?"

The amulet still burned hot, no doubt once this was hopefully settled peacefully, he would need to go out there, and figure out who was setting it off.

Corazona von Ascania
Mentioned: Lady Falentra

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"We are servants of the people."

She met his narrowed gaze with her own - but it wasn't feigned.

"And your eyes are just eyes."

It dawned on her how utterly odd this was. There was a distinct lack of malice in the break room. If it had been any other Sith - or if she'd been any other Jedi - this might've played out differently.

Instead they were probing one another, more curious than disgusted. Her attention fell to the bottle of water, a brow rising at his question.

Cora weighed her options. Gathering intel was supposed to be a relatively peaceful mission. She imagined that Malum was here for a similar purpose, given the proximity of Kaal to their respective interests. Starting a brawl wouldn't help either of them right now.

With a measure of reluctance, Cora unwrapped the dish towel and held out her hand for him to see. A few jagged shards were still stuck in her bleeding palm.

"I got his drink order wrong," she murmured. "Or it was made incorrectly. Perhaps you should've started your shift sooner."

Walking over to the counter, she rested her hand against it's cheap formica surface. Compared to the luxury accommodations for the patrons, the break room was small and bleak. Carefully, she began to pick the glass shards from her skin. Superficial wounds, but there were a lot of nerve endings in the hands.

Jedha rested heavily on her mind. Particularly when she'd struck him with a blinding dose of Force Light. It was never meant to be a permanent thing; people couldn't change unless they wanted to themselves. A few grains of impurity would be quickly burned up by the Dark he'd steeped himself in.

"Turned over a new leaf, have you?"

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He smirked at the reply to his taunt, "Are you a servant to all the people in the galaxy, or just those of your precious Alliance?" He countered, Kaal was a planet that was far too close for either Jedi or Sith to ignore, yet, it seemed in all likelihood that the Jedi would win that race, for all the good that it would do for them.

Now the question remained, was such a move to be accession, or annexation, and what would Lady von Ascania's consciousness say by the end? His free hand came to his chest, a hyperbolic gasp releasing out of his lungs, as shining sapphires widened in mock shock, "You wound me so, my eyes are the window to my very soul," He tilted his features, the raven locks cascading down his face, acting as the frame for which one saw his orbs seem to shimmer, taking a step forward, as he forced a visual lock between them.

She had beautiful eyes...

...He parsed his lips, as her attention fell to the water, he was allowed an excuse to break the gaze, her suspicion was well warranted, even if part of him felt the lowest of annoyance. After Thule he had thought... well Jedha had proved otherwise, had it not, so why was he so surprised?

Still, as she began to unwrap the dish towel, holding out her hand for him to see, showing him the jagged shards of glass broken against the skin, he could not help but raise an eyebrow... had he been incorrect? It was more by instinct than by will, that he slowly approached, providing her plenty of opportunity to showcase that he was not a threat.

He listened along silently as she explained, "Apologies then, that I did not," He offered just as quietly, following behind as she went to rest her hand against the counter, only for both eyes to widen as he hissed, "Stop! You're only going to dig them in deeper if you aren't careful," There was something in his eyes he knew, something she would no doubt see, but he could hardly stop himself, as he found himself at her side in mere seconds, gripping gently if firmly upon her wrist, as his vision zeroed in on her the glass shards.

It would be rather ironic use for his shikkars, but he doubted that the Jedi would find similar amusement, all the while he did not have a pair of tweezers, nor was he certain this establishment had any.

Thus, as he attempted to ignore the warmth of her form so close, attempted to ignore the great fire lit by the amulet upon his chest, he snapped his eyes shut, breathing out softly, as he felt the Force around them, for as much as he used it as a great battering ram, as fuel for the fire, this required far more precision and finesse. Commanding it to his will, demanding it follows his order, in his mind's eye he pictured the shards in front of him, as the Force flowed easily down, as easily as a riverine current.

And one by one, the shards, most embedded on the surface, some, a rare few embedded deeper, began to be pulled slowly out of her hand, each one laid carefully at their side.

As he opened his eyes, and chuckled at her question.

"...Something like that."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora held his gaze with a glare.

"Windows to your soul? Really?" She arched a brow. "You're just as guarded as every court dandy I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."

He did it well, though. Malum was a smooth talker, the sort that could make you feel like he was revealing his deepest secrets - when really, his words were carefully crafted to not give away anything damning. She'd yet to figure out if his congenital nature was genuine, or just another facade.

Then, as she began to debride her wound, he stopped her.

"Worse? I'm trained in basic med-"

The exchange made them sound like bickering children, but the words died in her throat as Malum took her wrist. Instead of fighting his grasp, she held still as the Force worked the shards from her hand. She winced at the odd sensation of a few of the deeper splinters surfacing through her flesh.

"Huh…"

Cora's gaze went from her hand, to Malum's face, then to the glass bits resting on the counter. She pulled her wrist back suddenly, as if just now remembering that he was holding it. Old habits died hard.

"I suppose that I should thank you," she murmured. Moving towards the sink, she let her hand run under the stream of water, watching the way streaks of red diluted before they swirled down the drain.

"The Sith thing to do would've been to put more glass into my hand. Or remove it entirely."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"But aren't I the most handsome and charming court dandy you have ever met?" Malum countered jokingly, their presences so close, too close, as he fluttered his eyelashes to further on the jape. The task was done, he knew that he no longer needed to hold possession of her hand, yet, whatever boldness there was to find himself in this position, there was as much fear now in letting go.

Thankfully... or not... she would be the one that would take the step to break them from their entanglement, with little outward protest from himself, as she went her way to the sink. The sound of water flowing down to hit the metal tub, washing away the ails and ills of latter moments, as noble's blood washed away.

He blinked away such thoughts, a smirk appearing on his lips as she continued to speak, "You suppose you should? Well, that is hardly a thank you from where I come from," He teased, coming to rest by her side, his back pressed against the counter as he observed for any remaining shards that may have embedded themselves deeper than he had thought.

Only to raise his eyebrows at the rest of her words, sapphires hiding rubies flashing with an imperceptible emotion, "I think you are hardly an unbiased authority on what my people would do," The words were as unemotional as they were frosty.

"...What exactly is it that you are doing here, Lady von Ascania?" It was his turn to press, "Your Alliance spreads its influence across the Expansion Region at a frightening pace, though when you can simply buy out planetary governments, I suppose that is easy," If only they were waging wars of conquest, it would make things so much easier, yet despite such bribes being hardly respectable, they were hardly moral sins, "...What is the intentions of the Jedi, so close once again to my people?" He knew, she knew, yet, he wanted to hear it.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

In an instant, Malum's playful demeanor chilled into something far more icy.

There it was, the changing of the masks. This time he was direct, inquiring over her intentions. She ignored the quip about credits being spent in an unsavory way; Cora's role in the Alliance was as a Jedi, not a politician.

"Does that often get you what you want? We're not on Alvaria."

Men like Malum were accustomed to being obeyed. That wasn't to say that he hadn't earned whatever power it was that he'd built, but they were outside the borders of his influence.

Unless, of course, he was connected to the traffickers she'd been sent here to root out.

My people.

She turned the way he'd said that phrase over in her mind while reaching for the soap. Gently, she allowed the suds to run over her injury. The wound might've been superficial, but it was still fairly tender.

"Your people, huh," Cora muttered faintly in thought. For once, there wasn't a hint of venom in her words. "You might've changed the color of your eyes, but you haven't truly changed, have you?"

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He blinked at her words, for but a second, confusion making themselves evident in his gaze before it was gone with another close of his lids, turning his head away in what was his best approximation of ponderousome quiet. That at least did not need to be entirely faked nor forged, as it stood, he was entirely caught off-guard by his fellow noble's words.

Changed?

In what aspect had she expected him to have changed? Why would she even imagine that he would have changed? The questions went on questioning in the depths of his mind, alas, the silence of the room was echoed in his skull, with the answer proving itself most elusive.

"...Did a small army of maidens and does fawn over your former husband when he still lived? Perhaps even after his hand was promised to you?" He probed as much as he used this as a method for an answer, "If so... amplify that with the fact to those that I rule, I am not just some Crown-Prince, I am King," He chuckled, shaking his head, gazing away towards something beyond physical sight, sharing with no one some private joke, "...No... no... beyond that, I am saviour," He turned his head back towards the ever beautiful, the ever dangerous face standing next to him, "...So in a manner of speaking," A wry smirk fell upon his features, "I suppose it does often get me what I want, not that I expect it to succeed here."

Enough time had passed for him to recover from his mistake... yet, even in saying that he was no closer to identifying what she meant, had it been her influence? Had it been the scorch of the amulet? Distraction pervaded across his mind, like smoke that stole his breath.

"....Would you have preferred that I had changed?" He should have dug further in regards to her purpose, but maybe, just maybe, this would be an avenue to that.

Yet, even he would admit that to be an excuse, curiosity drove him forward to learn what exactly it was she had meant.

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

At the mention of her ex-husband's admirers, Cora's expression flared into something hurt. Malum's choice of words and her own reaction had taken her by surprise; while she had not desired Horace's affections, it had wounded her pride as his wife that he'd seek company elsewhere. He'd been none too discreet about his whore-mongering, either.

It was an interesting route to take to get to his point. Cora lofted a brow, lifting her gaze from the suds as she watched them slip down the drain.

"A savior? You've a rather high opinion of yourself."

The water was running clearer now, and she reached for a paper towel to pat her hand dry.

"Would I have preferred that you change? Certainly. I asked because the last time we met, I'd struck you with the Light, and now you're here with blue eyes and a strangely obfuscated presence."

Sith trickery was always an option, she supposed. After Jedha, Cora had replayed their fight in her mind nearly a dozen times over. No meeting with Malum had ever been straightforward, but something about it had clearly been bothering her.

"Back then…why did you call me cousin?"

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He noticed almost immediately the look that came upon her face at the choice of his portrayal, his vision flicking away for but a moment, as his lips thinned, his heart holding a weight, for as ever with the Princess of Ukatis, for reasons he could barely understand much less articulate, her opinions held weight with him, and to see her hurt in any way, especially by his hand.

...Always brought about an unease that did not make sense.

His vision flicked back, "...My apologies that was crass." There was an apparent code there, with to the utmost to provoke interesting and humourous reactions from her, but never go so far as to truly upset or hurt her, considering he was a Sith thinking of a Jedi, it... hardly made sense.

He blinked as the rest of her words came, "Alas, I wish I was lying, come to Alvaria sometime, and I will show you that I speak the truth, as ever." For one so clouded in lies and deceit, in the shadows and darkness, he did not know it was a further one that he believed himself to be an honest man.

His sight flicked to her dainty yet still coarse hands, drying, secure in the knowledge that she was freed from both the glass and the possibility of infection. It was an effort to remain composed as she revealed her theory, it explained much, and provided for many an opportunity, "...You did, and what a surprise it was, we both know what that ability could do to a Sith," His eyes turned away from her to the wall behind her, "For all that has occurred between us, I had never thought you would have genuinely tried to kill me, Lady von Ascania," He leaked the hurt into his voice, "As for the change... no desire to bring a warrior like myself into the ranks of the Jedi? I never did quite understand your Order's views on redemption, sometimes so rehabilitative, usually so punitive..." Falentra had spoken much of her 'care' under the Jedi, enough for him to be curious about what she would say.

Yet that all became so unimportant so quickly as his blood froze. He winced as pain exploded in his mind, a different one to the one ever so common, a surgeon's scalpel at work rather than that of a hammer, as he turned away, palming his face as his breathing quickened, Memories locked away without a warden of far away Jedha breaking into his mind, as what had been stolen from him without his notice all became so quickly evident.

His breath hitched.

Despite all denials, despite everything, blue eyes turned to consider Corazona, she did not have the traditional Marr look, blonde where most were raven, blue when those without red were purged, was she a recent abandonee? He could not be certain, and as his heart beat rapidly in his chest, as his mouth became dry.

He was unsure what to do.

Such that instinct one, reaching to his neck, underneath the uniform his hand found itself wrapping itself around an amulet that burned so hot that it might have melted off his flesh, extending it outwards, he offered it to the woman in front, "...Touch this, and all your questions will be answered."

Corazona von Ascania
Mentioned: Lady Falentra

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Malum apologized, and Cora blinked. She'd been too caught off guard to formulate a response. It wasn't a reaction she'd expected from a Sith, but it strangely fit with him.

The Jedi frowned, more out of thought than outright displeasure. She couldn't pin down exactly what was going on here, but exhaled sharply through her nose at the mention of visiting Alvaria, "In chains I suppose."

Her pensive expression deepened, and she continued to pat her hand with the paper towel despite it having picked up as much liquid as it could. Had she been trying to kill him…? On the surface, the answer was yes, of course. Jedi and Sith were ancient foes. Her duty was the remove the Darkness, to cleanse it wherever she could.

A penance of sorts for her own past behaviors.

"I thought…" she trailed into an uncomfortable silence. Cora thought back to the kindness and veiled concern he'd shown her on Thule. How he'd offered her a hand that she couldn't quite trust, then tried to drive her to leave. Distance had made some things clearer, but not all things.

"You like to play your games, but you have a compassion that is…rare among your kind. Both Sith and noble." She spoke slowly, as if the thought was organizing itself through her words. "I can't help but think that if you'd been born elsewhere, you might have made a decent Jedi."

Her gaze shifted to the amulet, Malum's tense silence not lost on her. Her eyes flicked up at him; This had better not be a trap.

Tentatively, she reached out. The pads of her fingers brushed against the surface of the amulet.

White hot heat exploded across her vision, streaks of lightning scorching across a body that was not her own.

Cora gasped and seized, then pulled away sharply, taking a few steps back for good measure. She cradled the fingers that had touched the amulet, pins and needles prodding her nerves.

“What…what was that?!”

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"It's the truth," Malum answered, with just the hint of bitterness clawing over his voice for reasons that he could hardly put into words, his mind went wild with possibilities, with thoughts, with a realisation that was impossible to ignore, gripping the amulet around calloused fingers, as he breathed to keep emotions in check.

"That... was the murder of the great Darth Marr, Dark Councillor of the... Second Sith Empire, de facto ruler of it... and..." He swallowed, the protrusion by his throat bobbing like an apple in a barrel, staring into blue eyes whose own could hardly believe it himself, "Our shared ancestor," He tried for a smile, but it came out looking more like a grimace, especially with entirely uncertain eyes, "Welcome to the family, cousin." His memories flooded back off Jedha, of what he had known then, that she had accidentally or purposefully wiped away.

His gaze flicked away, breathing still surprisingly level even as it threatened to overtake him entirely, "Suffice it to say, chains are not in your future if you would come to Alvaria," She had been mocking him in that, but he grabbed onto all her words desperately, his musings of the future cracking as all this meant crashed onto him like a tonne of bricks, "...There are Marrs that have served your Order, over four thousand years is a long time after all..." There were branches of them within the Alliance he knew, even if the main family on Jutrand had long since cut them off as traitors, "It seems you have inherited that... noble tradition," His voice cut off, struggling, yet, it was not in admittance of that fact.

It was the internalisation of her other words.

A half-decent Jedi?

Had he so... betrayed all that he was meant to be?

"Is that our compassion is not given to those that have sought to destroy us these last millennia, so shocking?" He whispered, "You, a noble yourself, is compassion so truly rare amongst our creed?"

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As Malum spoke, Cora watched him, wide eyed and intent in disbelief. She cradled her hand, body language tense in defense. For the moment, she brushed past the topic of compassion in favor of the rancor in the room.

"That…that cannot be true."

Her voice was scarcely above a whisper, but it was laced with distrust. She glared at Malum, finding his game to be a cruel one, unable to entertain the thought that he was telling the truth.

"You're lying," she hissed. "You…did something. Some sort of Sith magic. Just like Nwul, you're trying to manipulate my feelings."

Cora felt as though a fist had closed around her ribcage, stifling her ability to breathe. This couldn't be right. Even if he believed them to have shared blood, he was mistaken. This could not be.

"You and I are not kin."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He parsed his lips, narrowing his eyes, this was something he had never come across before. All too often, those of his blood abandoned across the galaxy would be far too ready to accept the truth of their descent. Yet, pointedly, he had forgotten key details in all of their circumstances that he had never had to reveal such things to one he had actively fought against. However, that could hardly be helped now, for reasons beyond him, or perhaps simply his own failure to see, both on Exegol and Thule he had simply not noticed that his amulet might have been active.

And so, despite everything, on Jedha, they had met as foes.

There was too, another factor he supposed, the lost sons and daughters of Marr so often had very little idea of who they were, despite initially justifiably hating the family who had abandoned them, so craving an identity, so craving those of blood that sought to some degree to provide recompense and give them support and structure, they were all too willing to accept the truth of their heritage.

Yet, not Corazona, she was a von Ascania, one of the noblest houses of Ukatis. She had all which she needed, and that was not even discussing all which she had gained as a Jedi.

He... did not know how to navigate this.

He raised his hand in mock surrender, "...If it makes you feel any better, I am not much happier that we are kin," Though his reasoning was certain to differ greatly from hers, "Yet..." His voice was low, even tempted to break the gaze, yet, he knew he had to be resolute, show honesty in forged eyes, that she would otherwise not accept, "It is no lie, no manipulation, you feel it in your bones as much as I do, you feel it in your blood the same as mine, the amulet contains the ashes of the great Darth Marr, it will not respond to anyone who does not share his blood," He took a step closer, "He, would not show you his demise, if you were not his descendant."

Corazona von Ascania

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Malum showed no overt signs of hostility - in fact, he seemed to be struggling with this revelation as well. Not with as much disgust as she was, but Cora still watched him with an intense caution.

Perhaps the most startling thing of all was that she'd sensed no deception from him at the start. Her senses, keen as they were, could still be fooled. But the Force did not shift in the way that it often did when it was being used to deceive.

"I don't understand," she murmured. Her gaze flicked away, a subtle sign that she did not view him as a threat in this moment. Some of the tension uncoiled in her muscles, but she was still uneasy.

"This doesn't make any sense." Her tone was less combative, at least, but she still protested. "How could that be possible? As far as I know, my family lines have been confined to Ukatis."

As far as I know. The potential implication sent a visible shudder down her spine.

You feel it in your bones...in your blood...the same as mine.

The same as…

The significance of this revelation, if true, was overwhelming, so her mind filed back through memories of Malum. He'd shown her kindness, concern – even just a few scant moments ago after pulling the shards from her hand. Perhaps his actions had been guided by this particular hand of fate, if only a little.

Cora had paced back until her thighs bumped against the counter. She still held her injured hand, towel now pressed to her palm to stem her bleeding until a clot could properly form. Leaning back, she squinted at Malum, narrowed gaze sweeping carefully over him for something that she might've missed. From the gala, she recalled how everyone in his lineage – father and sisters – all shared a particular unique trait.

"I thought everyone of you blood had red eyes."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

If she was unable to understand, Malum was in little better position, even as he was responding to her looks of suspicions with baleful stares of his own, he was mostly lost to his own thoughts. Even assuming his own theory that she descended from those Marrs who had ended up in the Core, those who with their latent Force Sensitivity would go on to serve the Order...

...It hardly made him feel much better. It was his self-titled role to bring the lost and abandoned branches of House Marr back together under one tree... a task which he knew would be far from possible within his own lifetime, yet, one which he pursued with the righteousness of which it deserved.

He knew the possibility, dreaded it, but now to have to be presented forth to him, he could not help but feel his heart hammer in his chest.

One of the lost scions of Marr... was a Jedi.

The thought was desperately banished from his mind as she offered a petty reason, any reason, for his mind to grasp onto, "...Are you sure?" Malum questioned, raising a brow. As was expected of Marrs, even those who sought to distance themselves from the rest of their family, those Marrs who settled in the Core had done so in the Core... but Ukatis was far from it. The von Ascania's were noble, which did provide credence to the claim that they would be ones who interested those Marrs... but they were planetary nobility of a rather poor and unremarkable planet...

...Would they really have caught their eye?

Yet, if the Ascanias of past generations looked anything like...

His mouth dried, as she withdrew herself back against the counter... no... he could very readily understand how such a union took place, yet, all too quickly those thoughts were stripped away from him, as he gazed up, blue eyes softening, as the guilt grew in his heart, "Until recently all who bore our name held exclusively red eyes, yes... a point of pride for our House, that our ancestor's presence remains within us all, over four thousand years later," They both refused to look at each other now, Malum withdrawing from his step taken, subtly leaning back against the sink, "...Until recently, all who lacked such a presence were banished from our family."

As a rogue thought struck him... could it be?

Corazona von Ascania