Private Introspection

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Malum of House Marr
Ziost
Glass Fields of Adasta
​

Sometimes one needed quiet to gain a measure of perspective

That idea was why she had requested her fellow Dark Councilor to meet her here, and not within the academy she controlled on the planet or the new capital city that had replaced New Adasta. Her hope was that a solemn location such as this, a place that demanded a certain respectfulness, would be a setting for a much-needed conversation in her opinion. New Adasta still lay in ruins, a reminder of the struggles unleashed against by the enemies of the Sith when they attacked this world. The Alliance, the Imperials, the Ashlan Crusade, all of them had broken themselves against the former Gateway to the Empire during the Tenth Sith Empire. They couldn't take the Witch's world until the Empire fully collapsed, but it was during those battles at the end of the war, New Adasta and the plains around it had been subjected to intense orbital bombardments, rendering the plains into a field of green and blue glass shards from where the energy of the turbolasers and the ground had melted.

So many had died in those battles, in those strikes, at the hands of the sorcery she unleashed to force their enemies away or risk being turned into servants of the dark side. That heaviness remained, and even once she and Kaine had reclaimed the world from the Ashlans, she had decreed the ruins to remain and the field untouched for Sith to wander in contemplation among the dead and darkness. The Glass Fields of Adasta were now a monument to what had occurred on this world.

A speeder idled nearby, two chairs and a small table set next to them, one occupied by her and the other open to Malum should he accept. There would be no grandiose displays of power or wealth or influence like the last time they spoke one and one in her office in the Sadow District. The conversation for today, especially after the recent Council meeting, called for something completely different.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

There was an uneasy peace that tremored along his bones, veritably against his skin, having his hair stand straight to attention, as he crumbled beneath black boots another crystal shard of green or blue make. A masked visage kept a constant gaze at his surroundings, he might have once thought it an action born of paranoia, after all, one rarely walked into the lion's maw of a rival's powerbase without some semblance of caution.

That might have been part of it, but, it was tamed with the security that was provided in all that he was these days, Lord of the Watchers who discovered such traps, draped in the title of an office that placed him far above most, hardened in training and war, to behold a confidence that exuded out from the ashen mask, and quotidian nightly arms.

No, instead, as red eyes peered through the visor, the replica eyes, of his most famous and glorious ancestor, it was with a softness that it bore witness. It was with a sombreness that his gait took him to his destination, breathing in the dust and remnant of a once great city, a once great Sith city. He had mixed feelings as his steps took him further on, there was a glory once here, of wealth and prestige, of laughter and industry, a city of their people.

Wiped out in their enemy's obsession with their destruction.

It was to Tae- Darth Arcanix's credit that she kept this ruin here... a reminder of what had happened, a living memory their people had suffered... history left for their descendants...

...For the history of the Sith was one of unparalleled heights, followed by the greatest of falls, it was in ruins like this, that they would be able to learn both sides of that history.

It still did not remove the bitterness in his orbs, even as he blinked them away, seeing upon the horizon, the figure that had bid invite him here, though her presence wafted along the air, far before his eyes had made purchase.

It had been a most intriguing invitation, and that intrigue seemingly had only grown as it had become apparent that it was not to take place upon the place of their last private audience on Jutrand, but far off to Ziost. Her place of power within the Caldera, and within the world, the meeting was not to take place in her place of architectural majesty...

...But here, where she had fought to the bitterest end, to keep the land of their people from falling into the enemy's hands.

For all that which mixed opinion of his had fallen upon Darth Arcanix, there had never been disrespect on his brow for her, she might not have been ambitious in the traditional way of the Sith, but if there was a contender for amongst a group of so-called great and women that had changed their galaxy.

He was confident enough that her name would be counted amongst them. After all, her name was already written.

He banished the thought away, as his feet brought him to the clearing, the speeder laying some feet away, a table and two chairs laid out, one occupied, one bare. In this ruined city, it was a strange sight.

But... it was an oddly refreshing one.

"Councillor Arcanix." He offered with a nod of his head, his eyes drifting to the chair, he imagined there would be some wroth for their last meeting... but, he could take that, and Bogan knew, he had not accepted this meet to make enemies.

He found himself taking the seat.

Taeli Raaf

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Malum of House Marr
​

She sensed him coming before he appeared, the heaviness of this place settling on his shoulders and in his steps, his thoughts on what remained of New Adasta and the plains around it trailing behind him like a cloak. In that case, her choice of venue was working marvelously to give him something to think about.

"Malum," she greeted, gesturing for him to take the seat as he did so. The choice to have address with him no titles, no honorifics, was deliberate. "We won't be standing on ceremony here. This is not truly a place for such; it almost demands that we keep to a humbler expression of ourselves both internally and externally. For the sake and length of this conversation, simple names will suffice." She would remove the lightsaber from her robes and place it on the table between their seats. It would be a subtle invitation for him to do the same, but also to remove the mask he wore... both literally and metaphorically.

A long silence would pass as her gaze moved from the younger Dark Councilor to the ash and glass fields before them.

Eventually, she would break the silence to say, her tone that of patience born from her experience and being a mother, "You've grown prideful, Malum, from when we first met. Your display in chambers was evident of that. I do not intend for this meeting to be a lecture, but for the moment, I want you to listen to what I have to say.

"What happened in chambers, your behavior, was beneath you, especially in front of the man who would be reporting everything said directly to Empyrean or to either myself or Gerwald. None of us are perfect. We have all made mistakes, some of them more egregious than others and some of them more personal than others. It is accepting, when you are in leadership, those mistakes and learning from them or from what others have to say about them that is key. I do not mean to dismiss the concerns you brought up, and I will provide my answer to them here."

She would lift her hand, summoning an idle piece of the fused blue and green glass to it, looking it over slowly in her hands. In the Force, she could feel how it might be used for other purposes, but that was unimportant.

"Your concern about the bounty placed on your head by the Zambranos is understandable, but in the grand scheme of things, unimportant. We are Dark Councilors of the Sith. If there is not a running tally on her heads, as has been the case since the galaxy emerged from the Years of Darkness and the three prior Empires rose and fell, then we aren't doing our jobs properly. Challenge and conflict are inherent for this position we hold, and a bounty is simply one more way that happens. If it is such a major concern to you, then go speak with Kaine about it. Otherwise, accept that it will be there and invite the challenges it might bring as an attempt to strengthen yourself."

She would set the glass down on the table, finally turning her head to face him. Her tone would turn gentler.

"As for what else was brought up in chambers, that's more complicated isn't it? I do not intend to always be an obstacle to your initiatives and plans, but what exactly have you done to dissuade me from doing so? Gerwald and I both see a young man overcome by pride and ambition, by a desire to control your surroundings and everything and everyone within them, and who has difficulty in understanding a simple truth of the galaxy. You can't control everything. In your attempts to do so, in your impatience, it has only created distrust.

"The situation with Drey could have been completely avoided if you just told one of us who knew her from before that she had approached you and we could have warned you of what she is. The situation surrounding the Kaggath was unnecessary unless the intent was to seize Alisteri's position, and then to see him alive on Woostri just created an even further reason to distrust what you might say or do. The situation on Echnos need not have escalated to the point where it required Srina to step if you have just let events run their course on their own, and in the aftermath, what did it truly accomplish for you in trying to control the outcome? Kaila is independent, no longer loyal to either the Kainate or the Tsis'Kaar."

She would once again look back out at the ruined landscape.

"As an honest answer, I blocked your attempt to gain control of the Ministry of Order because the last time the Tsis'Kaar had complete control over all domestic and external security and enforcement, the Ouroboros Crisis occurred and nearly tore the Empire apart. Each issue, from my point of view, that has threatened the full stability of this Empire since Empyrean took the throne has at its root either the Tsis'Kaar or the Inquisition in some way, shape, or form. And to see you being consumed by your schemes, by your ambitions, by your... desire for control, has engendered in me a concern and caution. I hope you understand why that is."

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Perhaps he might think back to this moment, when once more some elder Sith lord thought he held the height of wit, in simply pointing out that he had spoken for a great breadth of breath, for it always seemed that they never realised their peers amongst them too, enjoyed the sound of their own voice. It was no insult to Ta- Darth Arcanix, as far as his memory contended, she was not one of those who had made such comments.

Even if those who aligned with her did.

Still, he played his part well enough, as her sabre was placed upon the table between them, as she began to speak, the Sith Sword protruded out of his back, the black metal piercing the once battlefield, as within the robes, beneath the armour that he wore, he unveiled the Sheath of Shrouding, contained within it, the Soulsabre of archaic legend, placing it upon the table, with less decorum than was afforded the ancient weapon, but with the casualty that this meeting seemed to undertake.

There were many more weapons and tools hidden beneath the folds and crevices of arms and armour, but there would be a sense of awkwardness in drawing each and every one of them, he imagined, the symbolic point was made, and of course, looking up the aged, but ever still attractive face opposite him, he knew, there was no actual fear of the weapons, and indeed simply a call to order...

...He brought his hand to his face, and with a hiss, the mask that had come to inhabit his face unhooked from its place, as ever, the noble face with aristocratic features was revealed, and the mask laid down upon his armrest. An aquiline nose stood prominent, with a thin-lipped smile underneath, a stubble born of a fresh shave lead down to the angular jaw, all made united underneath the gaze of red eyes that shined like rubies in the darkness.

His lips silent, his eyes spoke, though the irony was that they spoke only of shrouded attentivity to all the words that the elder Sith said.

He allowed himself a breath of air as she concluded, a breath twinged with... sombreness, exhaustion even, perhaps even the slightest hint of regret.

"You are broadly correct, to such a degree that what quibbles I may of minor points are largely irrelevant," Malum offered, what was no doubt to be one of many concessions, "I accept a certain truth, that which is most annoying, by my age that I am still but a child to the giants of which I stand beside. A child that I would warrant to some degree was left orphaned, as the wolves began to prowl, and the carrions began to circle, I fought off every challenge... I have drawn myself to these heights... but still, I am a child to so many," It made his skin crawl, that which he had sought to disprove so many a time, that which pattern of behaviour was truly not exclusive to him, but the very many giants that he both sat atop the shoulders of, and were named his peers... even subordinates... but, there was no point in denying there was a semblance of that truth in his own condition, "It is in recognition of such that I come to you, I seek your sage counsel, your wisdom, and advice, that I might better myself, better execute my duty, and better serve the Empire in which we all call home."

There was a pattern he noticed amongst the greatest of them, in their own way, a certain paternal or maternal instinct, that expressed itself in odd ways. Odder ways when odder the person, but a seeming... wish, disregarding their own immortality in their pursuit of shaping the next generation. He had seen it in the Emperor, he had seen it in the Empress, he had even seen it in Kaine, and it was not as if Tae- Darth Arcanix had not taken apprentice of her own...

...Perhaps the elder raven could teach the younger to fly.

"You have rightfully brought notice to both my pride and my ambition, I do not deny either charge, only the implicit concern drawn within it, we spoke of the purpose of rulership long ago, and my opinion has not changed, to serve is the cause of rule, and my ambition is to see the Eleventh Empire be the last Empire we shall ever need, the greatest we shall ever achieve, spanning the cosmos, and granting our people protection, prosperity, and happiness." Some would accuse him of naivety, but of a people who had suffered more than any other in the galaxy, they deserved that little trifle more than any other.

"Perhaps you do not believe me, and I cannot exactly blame you for such belief, I can only work towards turning your opinion, I spoke with wroth in the Council chambers, but I too spoke with honesty... I seek to work with my peers and elders... but I cannot do so if every avenue is closed off to me. The truth remains for as many enemies I have in this Order, I have just as many allies, when systems are unable to adjust, they fall," The smile washed off his face, his eyes narrowing, "The Tsis'Kaar shall continue to rise, taking position alongside established powers, we seek nought but the respect and opportunity that has been given... or perhaps been seized by those that came before us. If our intentions are so sorely distrusted what is left of this avenue? If no recourse is given, no flexibility, no consideration granted, what happens when two sides are simply unable to agree anymore?'

He offered a small smile by the end, his eyes relaxing, "I wish to work with you, Taeli, I truly do, but for all that you name upon me that makes me difficult to work with, it is not difficult to compile a list of you, but there is little point in going through that..." Breath passed through his nostrils, as he offered a gloved hand forward, "...I apologise, for what I said in the Council chambers, I shall work to better myself in such regard... to regain position within your good graces, I would ask that you take up position as teacher... instructor... to allow me to better learn such things."

His offered hand firmed, as there was yet more to say, "...Yet, the bill that which currently stands in the Assembly is in dangerous prospect. As it stands, I shall lose, that much I can accept, but its purpose has been achieved, everyone shall look upon the votes and see a most concerning sign, the Tsis'Kaar on one side, and the Eternalists and Kainite on the other, factionalism has made itself manifest over the issue of Tsis'Kaar gaining power, all the while, we have silently stood aside as others sabotage us, silently accepted and actively worked with measures that would constrain us..." He flicked his gaze away, "Few remember that once it was the Tsis'Kaar and the Eternalists that fought against a Kainite measure, I am blamed for tensions with Darth Carnifex on Echnos when he has a bounty on my head, few remember the Tsis'Kaar's loyal service to the Empire, from the Caldera to Sluis Van..." Red eyes turned their focus back to purple, rubies meeting with amethysts, "There is still time to show that compromise is possible in the Assembly, I have extended the vote... but if it shall fail, as it likely will... what am I meant to learn from it, Taeli?"

Taeli Raaf
Mentioned: Darth Carnifex Srina Talon Darth Empyrean Quinn Varanin

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Malum of House Marr
​

She would remain respectfully silent as Malum answered her observations, allowing him the opportunity to state what he viewed as either justification or explanation for his actions and creed. There was something to be said about the continued belief, at least outwardly stated, that everything he had done was in service to the Empire itself. His actions, however, spoke of perhaps even unconscious desires for the Empire and she still sensed that pride when he spoke of the services rendered by the Tsis'Kaar.

"I'll address what you said in reverse order because one leads into the others," she said, "The bill to place the good Commodore Helix and your cousin into the Assembly under their corporate entities is going to fail or has failed for a simple reason. Overreach. If Helix had been proposed on his own, it likely would have passed and you would have had one more ally in the Assembly that owed you their position there. But you included your cousin, and in doing so, it revealed the true intent behind the bill, MarrTech has rendered valuable services to your House and the Tsis'Kaar, but Mariah has not truly expanded her operations to be of benefit to the Empire as a whole, regardless of the provided materials during the battle at Woostri. That nepotistic overreach is what rallied support against it, so if you are to learn anything from it, learn the lessons of caution and appearance. An important one for any politician to know."

She would lean back in her seat, thoughtful.

"As for everything else, Malum, I am always happy to offer advice and guidance when it is asked of me, but as an instructor and teacher, my focus is already taken by another student. She is finally blooming into her full potential, and I want to focus those instructional energies into further guiding that blossoming." She would offer him a small smile. "That is not to say that you cannot ask my opinions or my advice, but I am not what you need for an instructor, for a teacher. That role should be another's."

Her thoughtfulness deepened, a hand upon her chin now.

"Perhaps Ophidia did you and Strosius a disservice in your training, but I think she was training you both in the vein of what came before and not what exists now within the structure of the Sith and the galaxy in general. Something to think about, for both of us I believe, in how what we have learned can be applied in the current era. Connections and alliances have become more important than ever, influence needed to make headway in any sense of the word progress. You've definitely built the Tsis'Kaar and your bloc of support into a solid foundation, but it still holds a minority of support and the allies you choose for it seem to keep creating either headaches for you or situations where they have to abandon their positions for new ones elsewhere. If you want the respect and room to maneuver for your power base, and I said this before when we last spoke like this, you need to choose your friends more carefully."

She would chuckle a little as her next thought came to mind.

"I am curious though, what would you lay at my feet that makes me difficult to work with?"

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

There was a strange ease in conversation with her, as if she were an old friend, or at least... someone he had known for a long time. He supposed in the most literal sense that was true, but at the same time... it was a sense that foreboded as much as it was felt, a sense that rolled across his chest as much as his heart, a sense that was not truly... his.

On the other hand, he supposed the explanation could be as simple as her not being as viscerally disturbing as the Emperor, nor held with such a freezing gait as the former Emperor. There was no doubt that the woman before him was terrifying in her own way, one who no doubt had many different methods in that pretty head of hers to kill him.

Though that he considered her pretty at all, and in actuality extremely attractive, nay, beautiful, perhaps answered the question more than adequately.

All being said, red eyes considered violet ones inquisitively, with each word spoken from pink lips. Even as the silent grimace had graced his lips, it was not as if he had been blind to how it looked, it was not as if he had been blind to how much more of a difficulty it placed the bill's proposition. Still, he had been confident enough on so many different measures that had failed him, arrogance had brought forth his place, erroneous belief that revealing such splintering divides within the Order would force compromise, having failed..

...They, for all their vaunted strength, were not strong enough, not yet, anyway.

"Noted, I will be happy to see your support for when the bill moves forward, which only has the Commodore included." Malum offered with a ghost of a smile, a light challenge in the air, for her to place her credits where her mouth is, even as he raised an eyebrow as she continued to speak, a pulsing weight lay upon his heart as his mind made purchase with the one she referred to.

There was little time to think of her.

Neither would she want his thoughts on her, and neither did thinking of her do him any good.

"A lucky student indeed, then. I thank you for your offer, I will have to take it up in the future." He was not so sorely disappointed, his point was made in lowering himself, as much as he had to bite his pride to do so, and no matter how much anyone would be lucky to be instructed by the Mother of Monsters... he had been taught by one who had been Sith'ari, that which bid him survive still even now. Even, as in his mind's eye, one figure loomed heavy, loomed perhaps being an overstatement considering how short she was, but still... loomed felt right.

The one that would teach him to be the hearthfire had been found long ago.

He was silent as she spoke of his former Mistress, revealing nothing beneath the hood of lidded eyes, even as... a bashful smile flourished over handsome features, "...Alas, no matter the growth of such splendid flowers in the Empire's gardens, there seems to be an odd... difficulty, when it comes to finding able allies." He was not blind to his own part in that... he had as many friends as enemies in the Order, the problem was that those enemies were usually far stronger than the friends, along with his own supreme ability to piss people off, he may need to slacken his standards, "...Yet, you are right."

He blinked by the end of her words, pink gently dusting his cheeks, as he was sorely tempted for rubies to break their bonds with amethysts, what could he possibly say to such? "...For one who dislikes entanglements with the rest of the Order, you align yourself with one who is gazed upon with equal measures of hatred and awe. Who, while sitting upon his raised dais, has little compunction about wandering down to get involved in matters far beyond him. You sit amongst the empowered few, yet, remain mainly interested in your matters, passive, as others lust for power and position, that by your existence alone, they feel denied to them." He shook his head, his raven locks passing through the wind, as he finished his words, "I imagine most of that is false, on a personal level, you are one who I... enjoy discussing matters with," The admission felt odd, yet that was the bond of scholars, "But as it stands, I seem to need to watch my back that there shall be some Sithspawn after mine and my own, should one of your allies decide that one of my or my allies' actions have crossed the proverbial and oftentimes invisible line."

Taeli Raaf
Mentioned: Quinn Varanin Srina Talon Darth Carnifex

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Malum of House Marr
​

She would give him merely a soft smile in response to both his statement on her support for Helix by himself being named to the Assembly and his comment on Quinn being lucky to be her student. She listened quietly as he detailed, at least him his view, her role in the politics of the Sith and her connections.

"As I don't imagine you plan to kidnap members of my family, like Strosius did, or conceal such information from me... again, you shouldn't fear a Sithspawn to your back," she remarked once he had finished, laughing lightly, but there would be just the gentlest hint of an edge in her tone. An example had been set for what would happen if anyone dared to try and use her family against her, which if they had studied her history properly, would have been a foregone conclusion. She had lost her adoptive family, never gotten to know her birth parents, and then her sisters had disappeared. To say that she would be... protective of any family, once she learned of them, would be an understatement.

Besides it wouldn't be from the back. She'd be more than happy to send them from the front, if she didn't handle any such situation herself.

"As for what else you've said," she would continue, growing thoughtful again, almost nostalgic. "You'll have to indulge a little storytelling from me, I'm afraid, but it will address the points you raised.

"There was a time I thought like you did," she began. "When I was a young Acolyte and then Knight within the One Sith, a few years older than you are now, I thought the Zambranos were brutes. Butchers and despots that gave the Sith an even worse reputation than we already carried, especially once I started hearing about the actions they had taken previously. I abhorred Kaine and Braxus then. I feared what they could do. I was in awe of their power and influence, but I abhorred them, nonetheless. I refused to work with them or their followers back then outside of our war with the Republic in the Core Worlds. When I approached the Eye and Wrath with my plan to infiltrate the Jedi of the Galactic Republic and later the first Galactic Alliance, it became easier to act against the Zambranos as part of my cover."

Her eyes would turn hard as a memory came to her.

"Then the day came my sisters disappeared... and the Jedi did nothing. Melori I could understand as she was a full Sith Lord within the One Sith, but Corvus... she had been a Grandmaster of the Jedi in the Republic, had been instrumental in uniting the Order together again within the Alliance, apart from the Silver Jedi. And they did... nothing. Nothing to honor everything she gave to the Order, barely even an acknowledgement in the Council meeting. I was left adrift in my grief, in my renewed hatred of the Jedi. I wanted to tear them down, to break those who would DARE not honor a woman that had sacrificed everything to the Order.

"But I couldn't act alone. I may have had a few followers during the One Sith days that had stayed loyal, acting outside the Alliance, and my companies but that was hardly a power base that would be sufficient to do what I wanted. I needed someone with resources that could help me, and like them or not, the Zambranos had those resources. I reached out to Kaine and we formed a pact; he would assist me with bringing down the Alliance from within and without when the time came, and I would provide him intelligence as I had to the Eye and Wrath. That pact formed the foundation for an alliance that has lasted near sixty years now, an unlikely friendship that has lasted nearly as long. I had all the resources I could ask for, and I was able to begin suborning Jedi and Alliance military personnel and SIS operatives for what would occur in 864. Some subjects that I couldn't break or important artifacts or particular schematics for Alliance ships or weapons I would send back to the nascent Sith Ascendancy and later the Tenth Empire, to Kaine and Tirdarius and the others. It was where the mantle Lady of Secrets was born."

She would scoop some of the dust at their feet, allowing the ash and glass particulates to slowly pour from her hand.

"Ten years of working that closely with the Zambranos, I learned my initial assessment of them was correct and yet incorrect at the same time. They were brutal beyond imagining, inspiring fear and hatred and respect and awe in all they encountered. There is a reason Kaine became Emperor a second time after all. He is a singularity within the dark side itself, a bastion of Sith tradition, charismatic when he desires to be, an accomplished warrior and general that could unite the disparate Sith factions into a juggernaut that was only undone by internal ambitions and external attacks over a long period of time. And even once the Alliance fell, as the Jedi scattered and the Core burned and was looted, that alliance between myself and Kaine was cemented, not cast aside. We were useful to each other, we still are in fact, and what we have achieved is beyond most Sith's imagination. Working together, we breached Mortis and the Wellspring itself. Working together, our collective and separate power bases have spread across the galaxy and embedded themselves deeply. Working together, I've had the chances and resources to really pursue my work, to push the boundaries of sorcery and alchemy, and he has benefitted from that work as only an ally and friend could."

She would deposit the rest of the soot and glass dust back onto the ground at her feet.

"And never once has someone else come along with an offer that was better than that, to turn from that alliance to another. Never once have I been given a reason to actually set aside a friendship of sixty years, to turn against them. I've only added additional alliances and ties to other major players in the Sith, such as our current Emperor, and they have not truly conflicted with other ties because I've learned to balance when I am needed and when I am not and who needs my services more. You worry that we stifle those who would attempt to rise in power, that we act in matters that you would believe we would deem beneath us."

She would offer him a small smile.

"I would counter that we are a check on impatience and instability. You are correct that I prefer to remain passive, to focus mainly upon my work, but never mistake passivity for apathy. I want the Empire to be stable, to limit the scheming and backstabbing inherent within the Sith to our structured traditions, and when that scheming and plotting disrupts the functioning of whatever Empire we have built or disrupts my own operations or family, then yes, I will act and act decisively. This current generation of Sith, yourself included, rush into every plot and scheme you can get involved in. Everything must have an angle. Everything must advance your personal agenda in some way, shape, or form. I'm here to tell you that doesn't always has to be the case. Sometimes, it is okay to not gain a benefit or advantage. Sometimes, and this I think helped with my alliance with Kaine and yours with Strosius, it's just to help a friend. You're a bright young man, Malum, and you'll learn that lesson, I think. The alternative is continuing on your current trajectory and continuing to run afoul of the established powers instead of growing into one yourself, disrupting stability instead of forging it. I'm not your enemy, the Zambranos are not your enemy... unless you and the Tsis'Kaar and the unfortunate quality of your allies make us into them."

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Malum held the good grace to be bashful, flicking rubies away from amethysts as pink dusted his cheeks. He supposed that since all that was inflicted upon him was the slightest chide, embarrassment, he should be happy enough that it seemed the woman before him, held enough comfortability that a jape, a joke, was all the projectile she threw at him.

Though, it was not the only measure raised, the steel in her voice, as subtle as it was, was entirely purposeful, a silent warning.

One he had little inclination to cross.

His eyes crossed back to hers as her words continued, his orbs widening ever slightly, at the implications drawn forth from them. An excitement, a childish excitement brimming forth from his stomach, and like riverine currents following his veins up to his chest. This was a rare opportunity, one which he had always sought, but so rarely held opportunity to capitalise upon.

For all that he spoke of standing on the shoulders of giant, as much as despite the fact that so many of them had in his measure failed them, failed him, there still existed a respect, a respect born of a boy who had been raised on stories of the greatest and most powerful of them all. Few of them were left now, and of those few, most now he could... to his beguiling shock, seem to call peers.

A respect still furrowed on his brow to each and every one of them, a respect born of who they were, what they had accomplished, a respect that went hand in hand in the disappointment of what they were, of how they had failed.

But in the face of such, still existed the boy who held the deepest curiosity, a curiosity that had brought him more trouble than it could possibly have been worth, but a curiosity that helped forge him into what he was today.

A curiosity that was drawn to those who had stood in the galaxy's most climatic moments, by his measure, more had happened in the last hundred years, than had happened in any other age of the galaxy. Empires rose, and empires fell, and in the middle, their records were made bare, as chaos engulfed those who remembered, those who recorded.

And as those who witnessed those events fell away.

The perilous responsibility that he granted unto himself reached a greater, and grander importance. To hear the words of their elder Sith, to gain the wisdom born by the fruit of victory and defeat, for in a galaxy as dangerous as theirs, despite the remarkable ability of those of these wizzened ages to perpetuate themselves ever further...

...There was always the chance that fate and destiny would conspire to cut their threads short.

All of which they knew, all of which they lived, falling away into nothingness.

And so he listened, he listened with an eagerness was transparent upon his face, he listened as she spoke as one who had not been much older than himself, one who seemed a figure that Malum would have gotten along rather swimmingly with, one who shared opinion of the truth that all knew, but at many moments were forced to be unspoken.

The talk of her sisters, had the eagerness fade, it was neither neutrality, nor discomfort... but something in the middle, he thought to his sisters... what he would do for them.

The answer was succint, as it was absolute.

Anything.

She continued, and he listened still intently, bringing finger to raven locks, and twirling them between fingertips, watching as she took the ash and glass into her hands, watching as if they were black snow, they fell back to the earth in a slow descent.

An alliance of convenience, no... in that moment, an alliance of need. How many of those had he been forced to make? How had each of them punched a whole through his integrity, chipped away at his principles?

There was a difference though, a key one that would aid him sleep at night. None of them... none of them had he engaged in and come to enjoy. Each had been convenience, each had been necessity, none had been pleasurable, and when his acts would one day go on to create a better galaxy, forestall the circle that kept them bound...

...What were a few unconscionable acts, to break the chains of them all?

She continued on, speaking of matters that he knew had to be truth, but that he had never had opportunity to witness himself. Indeed, for all of the Dark Lord's accomplishments, for the titles he had achieved, that the moniker of Twice-Failed was fixed atop... well, for one who had been raised in the Tenth, for one who had been raised the quintessential Sith Lordling, one who once upon a time would have held the loyalty of House Marr absolutely.

...The Tenth Empire was gone, the Eleventh had replaced it, House Marr had almost lost everything as the last empire had fallen, Marrs bled and died in a bid to keep a failed tyrant's family upon their throne, even as he abandoned it, leaving it to those even more unworthy. The accomplishments she spoke of, held his attention steadfast, Mortis, the Wellspring, their influence spreading across the entire galaxy, who, who in actuality could doubt the power of either of them?

...But in the end, for all their vaunted strength, as they aged far past the prime of their greatest accomplishments. They existed now as relics, immortal tyrants, far more focused upon that at which they considered their focus, matters far beyond the physical realm they inhabited. The physical realm where the Sith once more were embattled upon all sides, their ancient, accomplished leaders, distracted away to focus upon their obsessions.

Careening their heads over to gaze upon their young, and in moments of uppityness, rebellion, crushing them underfoot, as still the war against their actual foe, the foes that which would like nothing more than to break the power of the Sith forever, still raged on. For all their near impossible power, for all the wisdom and strength accumulated in their enduring lifetimes.

He might have forgiven them all, forgiven their immortal tyranny, if only they used that power to guarantee the fall of their perennial foes.

They existed at the heel of true titans, true giants, he could only wonder, if in their own age, they held superiors of such vaunted strength, what had happened to them if they had existed...

...Had they been as concerned with keeping their generation underfoot?

As if psychic, her words turned to such matters, as she finished talking at length of key, how useful, how very compelling the alliance, nay, the friendship between them had... has been.

He raised an eyebrow at her argument, yet, allowed it to proceed without interruption, an inkling at the back of his mind accepted there was some validity in it... on the other hand...

"The histories speak of the many powerplays, plots, and schemes that those like you, Darth Carnifex, and Darth Prazutis undertook against your foes, against your own peers, against your own superiors, and that is only those that history remembers," Malum began, his fingers falling from his hair, back down to the armrest, "You say you wish for the Empire to be stable, to limit schemes and backstabbing inherent in our Order, such is not a matter I am against, for all that the galaxy hates us, despite our antipathy towards each other, we are left only to rely on each other. We are to be disciplined, not cruel, architects of destruction, not monsters, but it does not change that the very means you in power seek to limit, are the same means so many great and grand Sith, including I would not doubt yourself, utilised to achieve your power," A ghost of a smile broached across his lips, "...Is it not after all rather unfair to be in power, to be the force of status quo, and to use all one's accumulated power gained at shaking the previous status quo, to make certain that no shakeup will threaten your new order?" He tilted his head, flicking his gaze to the ash and dust that surrounded them, "...You are right in much regard that many of us are amateur plotters at best." The truth of it stung, for all he could say of T- Darth Arcanix, he could not claim she was not incredibly able in that regard.

It took someone great indeed, to achieve what she had.

"...Yet, you state you do not seek to submerge us beneath the waves, but it seems evident enough that you offer only two courses," He leaned forward upon his seat, "Either become an established power by purely the consent of those who govern," He smiled a devilish smirk, "Or be crushed under the weight of those already established."

Taeli Raaf
Mentioned: Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Elise of House Marr Sophia of House Marr Darth Strosius

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Malum of House Marr
​

She would patiently wait for Malum's thoughts and rebuttal to what she had said, and when it came, her smile became tinged with amusement as he asked how many powerplays and schemes she had utilized to crush rivals within the Sith to attain her power and position. The answer would likely surprise him, but she would let him finish speaking before offering her response to that line of questioning. It was interesting to her that he seemed to view the Great Game as she liked to call it in the way he did.

Once he finished asking his question, she would ruffle the skirt of her robes slightly, smoothing out the wrinkles from how long she had been sitting in this ash and glass reminder as she thought how best to convey her words for maximum effect. "Before we address your last point, you'll have to indulge me a little more on the matter of history, at least my personal history. It will also help address the question you've posed to me on how one can challenge the status quo and attain power and not run afoul of the established order."

"The joy of an eidetic memory is I remember each and every scheme, every power play, every betrayal I had to carry out to reach my current status. The list may surprise you, Malum, as it is not a long one. The first came when I was a but a knight of the One Sith, still working to carve out a place for myself. It was during that time that myself and a friend I had made, Alexandra Feanor, took control of a small company known as Krayt Industries. The owner, a Sith named Sabrina, was looking to offload the company as it were and we both expressed interest. As it happens, she was looking to rid herself of the company because she planned to betray the One Sith and desert, a plan we discovered when we met her and took over. For a time, our partnership was tolerated, if not ignored by the Lords at the time, but Alex had made some of her own, shall we say, challenges for the One Sith. I was in a meeting with a man named Alric Kuhn and the topic came up of my association with Alex and her ties to Krayt. He took that information directly to the Lords and the Voices, and I was put on trial before them. The verdict was simple; die and lose everything, or kill Alex before them and live with what I had. I killed Alex right there and was allowed to leave, the Lords and Ladies pleased."

A sly smile, further tinged by amusement, took over her lips.

"And then, much as you did with Alisteri, I resurrected her into a new body with the help of her betrothed at the time, a body that was completely different from her original appearance though. She divested herself from the company and went to form an independent Order of Gray Jedi, and I learned a valuable lesson in the Sith and continued to grow Krayt into what eventually became Aurora Industries. That was my first time having to betray someone for position and power, and yet, we still consider each other close friends to this day, although friends that have no issue with fighting each other or chastising the other about our choices."

She would hold up two fingers.

"The second came when I began my infiltration of the Jedi, then aligned with the Galactic Republic. The Jedi, even though they were led by my sister Corvus, were rightfully suspicious of this Sith Lady that had chosen to defect for family. The Sith were winning the war after all, so why would I betray them? I was placed into an isolation cell with the Jedi Temple on Ossus and interrogated by the head of the Jedi Shadows at the time, a Kel'dor Master named Kian Karr. Karr wanted information that would prove I had noble intentions, and specifically asked about the Sith Assassins. I knew where their base of Malif Cove was, having helped build it through my company and had been providing them with ships and equipment in an unofficial Quartermaster capacity, and I offered that knowledge to Master Karr. The Shadows launched an attack on Malif Cove soon after and forced the Assassins to abandon the base, severely curtailing their operations for a time. The Eye and Wrath of the One Sith had given me permission to pass whatever information I needed to cement my sincerity and position within the Jedi, and the successful raid, of which I participated in along with my sister, proved to the Jedi I was sincere in my conviction to join them. So my second betrayal or power play allowed me to rise as a respected Jedi Master, all while watching and observing first the Republic and then the first Galactic Alliance."

She would add a third finger.

"My third betrayal doesn't really count for this conversation, since I wasn't betraying a Sith, but I feel it prudent to add it for context. During an Alliance operation on Byss to root out a Sith presence growing there, one I was quietly fostering in my identity as the Lady of Secrets, I murdered the Grand Marshal of the New Jedi Order, a man named Omai Rhen. We were fighting against a proxy of mine that he believed was the leader of the Sith cell growing within the GA when I unleashed a dark side tendril through his chest in a surprise attack. I wanted to ensure his spirit could not return as a Force Ghost to warn the other Jedi of what was coming, you would know it as Endgame or Operation Eclipse in the history books. Another Jedi Master soon found me, seemingly being overwhelmed by the Sith Lord that had killed Rhen, and together we killed my proxy. I was soon elected to fill Rhen's position, and the rest... well history shows you how the first GA fell, with over a third of Jedi and their military joining the Tenth Sith Empire under me. I returned to the Tenth Sith Empire as a hero and was given the position of Triumvir of Power, just one step below the Dark Councilor that oversaw alchemy and sorcery.

"Now one would assume this is where the fourth scheme came into play, where I plotted to oust the Sith above me for the position I really wanted, the seat to oversee all Alchemical and Sorcerous developments within the Empire, and yet... you'd be sorely disappointed. I enjoyed working with Darth Prospero, we had similar thoughts on progress and how the dark side should evolve, so I was content to be the Triumvir and organize the alchemists and Sorcerers within the Empire, establish the rules, etc. When I was finally promoted to the Dark Council, as the civil war between us and the Imperials was only just starting, I became the Dark Councilor of Galactic Influence. I was the diplomat for the Sith Empire and was the one who helped negotiate the Elder Compact between the Tenth and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. That was actually the first time I met the Empress now that I think about it, but regardless, I didn't gain the seat over alchemy and sorcery until Prospero died fighting the Imperials."

She would look out over the glass and ash, remembering the battles fought here during that brutal war.

"From the time I openly rejoined the Tenth Sith Empire to this very moment, I have not engaged in a single scheme or plot that would undermine anyone to further my own position. I haven't needed to. I was simply patient and made myself invaluable to those above me, and made sure to forge a reputation as a woman that keeps her word. That is as important in business as it is in Sith politics, something that I strive to keep separate, and yet it helps me maintain my position and reputation. If someone trusts that I will keep to my word, whether that be an agreement, an alliance, or a threat, it carries the same potency as any plot ever could. Everyone then knows I am someone who can be dealt with fairly and I will do the same, although a few Sith seem to have a difficult grasp of that."

It went without saying she was referring to more recent events.

"So, to circle back to your question of how a young and ambitious Sith can challenge the status quo without plotting and scheming against their rivals or being chastised or outright destroyed by those above them if they cross that line, my answer is simple and yet complex at the same time: You only have to do so when it is necessary, but if one is patient and grows, then your own accomplishments and power speak for themselves and you don't have to undermine a rival or superior. I think that ultimately is why those in the Eleventh that are scheming and have been caught doing so have been so..." she trailed off, searching for the right words, "...testy when their plotting inevitably brings a visit from me or another representative of the Emperor. Strosius, Virelia, Nefaron, even yourself to name a few, have tried and failed because patience is not a virtue we Sith extol and yet, the Sith who become the greatest and grandest schemers, as you pointed out, did have patience and the ability to keep their word in their dealings. Some more than others, since Sidious and Plagueis only did so until the usefulness of the other party ran its course, but the point stands that they still knew how to do so."