Long Have I Waited [TSE]

[Darth Carnifex]

​

Bastion
Capital of the Sith Empire

The Emperor was returning to Bastion.

That was the word that spread on the wind about the Imperial Palace, passed on in hushed reverence or bellowed aloud with vigorous admiration. The entire staff of the Palace was thrown into a vicious whirlwind of activity as everything had to be made presentable for his Supreme Excellency's return, even other Lords of the Sith were visibly set on edge as the minutes ticked by; their eyes trained towards the dreary sky above. These Lords had been assembled by the Emperor's own edict, their assembly one of the rare few conducted fully by their Lord. Their anxiety as to what the Emperor had in mind for them was apparent to anyone, even those untrained in the Force.

A shuttle's whine pierced the dark air, the shape of the Emperor's shuttle descending through the clouds towards them. All around it were ceremonial strike craft that broke formation as the shuttle began to land, stabilizing gear extending from beneath the craft to catch the ground as it descended. Before the Emperor's shuttle was a wide flat expanse of permacrete, filled with Legionnaires and Sith in parade formation that stood to attention as the shuttle's ramp creaked downwards ever so slowly.

Carnifex emerged from the shuttle first, four of his Crownguard following shortly after. Behind them was a small collection of beings, each one concealed by a heavy dark cloak, though it was obvious that they were of different species. One of the Sith Lords was waiting for him in the middle thoroughfare between the rows of soldiers, one hand placed over his chest in the shape of a fist, "Supreme Excellency, your return is most welcome."

"Assemble the Lords of the Sith in the audience hall, there is much I have to say."

"As you wish, Supreme Excellency."

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa had come to Bastion for a number of reasons. One of those was to enjoy the sensations that she had experienced beforehand, the baths and other unnecessarily luxurious experiences. As she relaxed within the water, a notification arrived on her datapad - the Emperor has requested the presence of the Sith Lords in the audience hall.

Mildly frustrated, she quickly arose from the water, rushing to get a towel as she dried off. Not feeling dry enough, she used the Force to expel every last drop of water on her hair and skin from it, drying her off instantly as she grabbed her robe, put it on, and headed to the audience hall.

She would have to catch up later.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[BobertEZ]

Bsiseih (Bastion)
Csiphesis ih mi Sem Erpheli (Capital of the Sith Empire)

One Hour Before Carnifex's Arrival

---

---

---

---

Bastion. The planet was massive, the hub of the Empire's greatest and brightest, where war was declared, alliances were forged, and lives were made and ended. Bastion. The home of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Kaine Zambrano, the Black Iron Tyrant. To say Lorale felt some form of glee traveling to this planet, in spite of their generally subdued nature following the events on Kashyyyk. It was to be an important event, whatever the Emperor had designed for the Lords of the Empire, and the Lord of Conquest would not pass up such a request.

"You're going to be fine, Lorale," Tiyra Shorcrow murmured as the Phoenix sat on the massive bed of their custom-built suite within the Ruthless Vanguard, adjusting the gauntlets of the black armor that covered their entire body. "How many times have you been to events hosted by Carnifex? Dozens? Hundreds? How many times have you proven yourself in his eyes as a warrior of the Sith?"

The markings on Lorale's face glowed red as the Phoenix reflected on their past escapades with the Emperor at the helm and chuckled lightly, "Simple social gatherings. Orgies. Debauchery. War. Executions. Tortures. Formality from Carnifex is not something I am properly used to. His request for the Sith Lords to be present for some announcement is equally odd for myself, as one only just recently placed into such a position. Anxiety is to be expected, Tiyra."

The Kiffar woman sighed heavily and placed a reassuring hand on the cold metal shoulder of the Phoenix, "This will be the same as everything else you've done. So what if there is some extra formalities to the whole thing?"

Lorale shook their head once and stood, towering over the six foot woman like a statue in a plaza, "Woman, the last thing I did left me on Noxis for months. I'm lucky they didn't put me in a new host outright. Even the Old Man had trouble figuring out what the hell was wrong with me. To come back and have my first action be to sit and listen to the words of Carnifex for some annoucement is enough to make even a Helgardi quiver in worry."

"I still would love you even if they did put you into a new host," the Kiffar smiled, tapping her fingernails against the chest-plate of the armor. "Maybe it would have made hugging you easier."

The Phoenix scoffed with a smirk and walked over to the armor stand where the helmet rested, glaring like a beast of darkness. It was an immaculate helmet, designed to resemble those that the Phoenix's people were normally hosted by. The Noxians. Another story for another day. Gripping the bottom half of the helmet by its "teeth," Lorale turned to the Kiffar woman and exhaled deeply out of their nostrils, "You have joint command with Rear Admiral Lore while I'm gone. If my brother comes looking for me, tell him he skimped out on his duties as a Lord again. If you get bored...go raid some backwater planet. The Legionnaires are at your disposal for whatever purposes you want, be in pleasure or pain....leave the Firebirds alone. They've had a rough time lately."

The Kiffar nodded and watched with bright eyes as her lover placed the helmet over their head, hooking the fibers and sockets of the chest-plate's gorget to the base of the helmet. Unlike modern suits of armor, this one possessed no computer systems and modifiable pieces. It was, by and large, a suit of black metal that protected the Phoenix from most forms of attack. Why they chose to wear it to a conference with the Emperor was anyone's guess, but by that point in time, Lorale had taken on a philosophy of "better safe than sorry." With the final piece of the suit, the burnt-leather cape, was clasped onto the chest plate just under the pauldrons, the Phoenix grunted in self affirmation and departed for Carnifex's request.

Bastion awaited.

Carnifex's Arrival

---

---

---

---

Where others sat on the edge of their seats, Lorale stood, walking back and forth, wondering when Carnifex had to say. Even when the Phoenix stood amongst the largest of known Sith, the Butcher King cut an imposing figure, one that commanded respect. To be impatient and confront the Emperor for his reasoning of the gathering would be improper, risky, fatal even.

And so, with bated breath, Lorale paced, arms tucked under each other, the snarling visage of the beast-helm glaring out to examine those around in the hall. All Lords worthy of both contempt and respect. All waiting.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Vora Kaar]

"You really think you are going to be able to see into whatever is going on with this?"
"Yes."
"Who are you talking too?"
"Sorry, just talking to myself."
"Well make sure you are silenced when in the presence of the Dark Lord. Hear me?"
"Yes. Don't you worry about that."

Eyeing the floating woman who followed me as an unseen shadow, I had been slowly working with a Sith Lady by the name of "Darth Corvus" who I had... well to put it in simple terms, had found me to potentially be a desirable addition to the Sith Empire. However, Corvus was not sure where I should have been placed. For now, I was merely learning the customs, as well as the formalities of what the Sith Empire operated with. If I wanted to claim the title of Darth from these Lords, then it would take quite some time to show them that I was deserving of such a title.

However, I cared not for titles. They seemed... trivial to me. Something to boost one's already expanding ego. One that can be used as a weapon against them. Sure they may have earned it, however, I find it useless in all other aspects of the force, and life. It was during this "training" of the formalities that one of the peons of the Sith lady Corvus showed up, and notified of her that the Dark Lord of the Sith, the Sith Emperor himself was wanting to convene all of the Lords together so that he may speak to them, Corvus seemed a little on edge.

"M'lady, Is there something troubling your mind of this meeting?"
"If our Dark Lord wanted to do something, he would. However, calling all of the Lords and Ladies together, makes me wonder if someone screwed up, or if someone is being crowned."
"Crowned?"
"Given a new title, Such as an apprentice becoming a Lord, or being given the Darth title. While rarely performed, it does happen."
"A harsh punishment for failure, or good merits for an individual and wants to make a show out of it."
"Precisely."
"Oh will you believe this hag? No wonder she is scared of someone. She can barely hold her piss."

I just shook my head. Why was Gale being so vocal today? She knew I could not speak to her so easily. Even more so out in the open. Let alone, pay attention to her. As much as I would have liked to use the force to banish her, doing so now would be quite suspicious as well as bring consequences upon my head. While Gale could only be seen by me, I feared that there could be a Lord or Lady who could "feel" her presence within the force. As we came to a door, Waiting for it to be opened, I stayed a step behind the Sith Lady Corvus and mouthed to Gale.

"Leave me please."

Gale gave me a roll of her brightened cyan eyes and soon faded into the nether once more. I sighed due to the sudden weight lifted from my chest. Allowing me to act of my own accord and not to worry too much about what was going to happen. However, as the doors opened into the room, It was made clear to me, that these people loved the darker themes of Red, Blacks, and even some purples with their clothing. Me, standing out with a set of brightly colored blue long coat with Echani Fiber armor being worn underneath.

While it was more formal with a puffy neck-tie, and made of the finest Spider-silk, and linens, It was clearly not of the "Sithly" design. Blues and golds, mixing with my snow white hair? Clearly I would likely be the brightest dressed person in the room. I was wary of this fact. Knowing that as I did stand out, I would be asked as to my being here. Secondly followed by ridicule for not being a Sith before hand. However, I hoped that this Sith Lady Corvus could explain that I was being taken into the fold. While also being shown the formalities of the Sith.
Where a better place to learn it than the Dark Lord himself right?

| [member="Lorale Farmar"] | [member="Vanessa Vantai"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] |​

 

[Darth Voyance]

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darren Shaw"] [member="Lorale Farmar"][member="Vanessa Vantai"]

Pythia, stepped off the gangway of her master’s transport ship. She had been commanded by the Emperor to disguise herself as the group of cloaked beings following him into the venue for which he would hold his dark assembly of Lords.

Bastion. It had been sometime. Since the Emperor placed her in exile, she had spent a galactic decade and more traversing the galaxy, honing her skills and peering ever deeper into the dark side of the force. She had spent most of her time in the Unknown Regions, away from the noise of galactic civilization. She hid herself, deep in the uncharted abyss of its edges – in a cave that fumed with the malice of the dark side.

It nearly killed her to meditate in such a place, so young and inexperienced. But she survived and now had come to take her place beside her dark master.

She had not gotten the chance to meet and bond with her dark sisters and brothers. She was an outsider, a curiosity yet to be revealed.

But, regardless she would make her mark. The dark side had shown her many things deep that cave in the Unknown Regions and now her powers of force visions and meditation would be come her greatest weapons.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Assembly Hall on Bastion had been constructed nearly a decade ago, built by the Sith Lords of the Sith Ascendancy following their successful takeover of the planet. Emperor Carnifex had been among their number in those early days, not yet an Emperor, not yet the Dark Lord of the Sith. Then it served as the meeting grounds for the Ascendant Circle, the ruling cabal of Sith who guided the nascent Ascendancy through all manners of governance, economics, spirituality, and war. Carnifex sat on the Circle as the Warmaster of the Ascendancy, the uncontested Lord of War who wielded supreme martial might over his fellow Lords.

Though the Circle had been long disbanded in favor of more centralized authority under the Emperor, the Hall still remained as a monument to the Empire's beginnings and those who came before. The exterior entrance was flanked by statues of the twelve Dark Jedi Exiles who had went on to become the first Lords of the Sith, Ajunta Pall looming over the entryway with arms spread wide in greeting with Karness Muur, Sorzus Syn, XoXaan, Remulus Dreypa, Broodica, and several others flanking either side of him in all manner of triumphant poses. Though many archaeological examples of their likeness had been lost to time, the modern Sith had reconstructed them as close to known descriptions as was possible, with few liberties taken to preserve their authenticity.

Inside, the large amphitheater was perfect to hold a large multitude of Sith as they arrived en masse at the Emperor's decree. Once the center of the Hall was an empty flat platform to allow a speaker to stand on even ground with his contemporaries, but now a large throne on a raised dais loomed over the surrounding benches to reinforce the Emperor's absolute authority. The Emperor took his position on the throne, those who had come with him standing at its base, their features still obscured by shadowed hood.

When all took their attendance, the Emperor spoke with dark purpose.

"Brothers and sisters of the Sith, hearken. I have summoned you all to witness the return of one who had, at long last, finished her dark pilgrimage across the stars. Her power over the Dark Side has grown since she had left us, and now she returns to us no longer a novice of the Sith, but a true Lord worthy of the mantle I bequeath." He gestured to Pythia with dramatic flourish, "Stand before me supplicant, and kneel before the Dark Lord of the Sith." When she had done so, the Emperor spoke a dark phrase in the ancient tongue of the Red Sith, commanding the Force to grant Pythia a boon and embolden her against the enemies of the Sith Empire.

"Rise now, and cast off the shackles of weakness; for they are now broken. Arise Darth Voyance, my Dark Oracle!"

[member="Darren Shaw"] | [member="Lorale Farmar"] | [member="Vanessa Vantai"] | [member="Darth Voyance"]​

 

[Onrai]

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Voyance"]

If the people were going to clap, Vanessa would have done so. As is, everyone was merely observing the newly minted Sith Lord. She was a Twi'lek - interesting enough. her familiarity with this new Lord was minimal - she recalled the woman in her prior existence as Pythia, but did not have any sort of close relationship with her. That said, Voyance's connection to the Dark Lord of the Sith would only push her so far. Vanessa very much desired to use her own power and influence to assist in developing her own infrastructure - while perhaps gaining a new friend.

Friends were a rare commodity in this group, after all.