Public LOTS │ Epoch [Open to All Sith]

[Inanna Harth]

Kal | Melydia Gold | Aspect of Victory​

Vaslav was just about to ask the Ersansyr why he spelled "artifacts" with an e instead of an i, when a half-full plastic bag floated over to him. "Caramel popcorn!" he exclaimed, seizing it. He looked over at Messala. "Does this mean I can have the rest?"

Messala nodded and waved his hand. Vaslav began eating the popcorn, piece by piece, savoring every morsel. He looked at the people around him, hoping to share his bounty. "You want some caramel popcorn?" he asked the Ersansyr, then the butterfly girl, holding the bag out to each of them. He also offered it to the angry Chiss, but stopped short of the giant spider, realizing that she couldn't have any, 'cause she was a hologram. He looked up at Qual'al with a look of genuine, heartfelt pity at this fact, and ate with a renewed appreciation for his physicality.

Having monopolized the bowl of red beetles, Messala turned his attention to the Draelvasier-crusher. "You said you fight the Drael? Is it an organized effort, or more of a lone wolf thing? Are you recruiting? Do you need a partner?"

Skajin var Imret​

 

[Aspect of Victory]

The assembler straightened. Perhaps she had gotten ahead of herself. "The Worm Emperor sent you without much telling, hmm? That is like him."

Qual'al-Selim had ways of getting people to talk. Kindly ways. Persuasive ways. Nothing much budged that Emperor, though. He only ever spoke when he had something to say. What a quieter galaxy this would be if more were like that. Boring, too.

"I have tabs on many, many alchemists. Their secrets are the greatest and most terrible. What do you need them for, honeychild?"

She was eager to help. Perhaps too eager.

Melydia Gold​

Darth Bourous allowed precisely one of his eyebrows to arch. "Oh, you're one of those people. I don't call them anything. It's a stupid name they've got."

He scoffed, and flicked something he had picked from his teeth onto the floor. The Worm Emperor was not exactly the wealthiest being in the galaxy. Even once they had a couple planets to scrape together - which Bourous suspected would be soon - there wouldn't be much money to go around.

And yet someone still had to manage the finances. And yet everyone still came to Bourous asking for handouts and deals. Like he shat gold.

"Maybe I'll give you money if you make more useful things, with more stupid names. Sell me something. Get detailed."

Kal​

These conversations were soon interrupted by the arrival of a small child, brandishing a snack. Qual'al-Selim stared back at Vaslav with an expressionless arachnoid gaze. Bourous sneered with contempt and disgust.

"Who brought a kid here?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Melydia Gold]

"Indeed, indeed. Though we would be interested in learning," She nodded along as she spoke with enthusiasm. The high=energy beetle of a being all too eager to expand her knowledge, even if it meant playing into another's schemes in the moment.

"We, uh, we wish to improve our skills." It was all too tempting to say 'let me show you' and begin pulling a small collection of notes and crawlies from her satchel, getting lost in a one-sided game of show and tell. But no, she resisted the urge, at least for the time being. "Our interests lie in bioalchemy. We wish to create more friends."

She turned once more as the conversation was again interrupted, this time by a young one with snack in hand. "Uh..sure," she started reaching into the bag before pausing. "Is this freely given?"

Aspect of Victory | Kal | Inanna Harth ​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Aspect of Victory​

“I’m not that young,” Vaslav replied, sensing that Bourous was angry, but not understanding how he could be the cause. After all, he’d simply offered everyone a snack. He was, as previously mentioned, about thirteen now—hardly a “small child”. The Chiss guy must’ve been in a bad mood.

“Yeah!” he replied brightly to Melydia Gold , holding out the bag for her. Once she had taken some, his hand snuck back in for more. “It’s caramel popcorn. I think it should be free for everyone.”

He was still offering the bag to the Ersansyr, but his attention had shifted to Qual’al. “You’re cool,” he said. “I came over here to tell you that. Also, my father does bioalchemy. He might be interested in that too. He’s over there.” He pointed in the direction of a clueless Messala, who sensed that he was being pointed at, turned, and stared at them with a befuddled expression.

Kal​

 

[Srina Talon]

K O R R I B A N
Direct Tag: Darth Empyrean | Skajin var Imret | Merridius Black | Ailana Venetia
In Vicinity: Njal The Black | Arlis Cerran
_________________________________________________________
​

It sickened her, thoroughly, that so many had come to prostrate themselves before the mendacious, petty, Worm. He carried the clout of a Sith that had existed through the ages but without proof to his claims save a fair grasp upon the Force. He was a poor, deceitful, beggar Emperor. Pulling on threads for supplicants that should have already felt his call, should have been present, if he was worth the vacuous space, he chose to exist in. It took every effort to keep the still-waters of her personality intact.

She was cold; so cold that it burned.

Inanna Harth made himself known by sampling some of the red-shelled insectoids that she had pulled across the table for the benefit of Skajin var Imret . Had none of these Sith Lords any manners at all? The ivory haired woman let silvery eyes, inauspicious and desolate, sweep the circumference of the darkling with sharp derision. He could eat? “I bet he will.”, she murmured, cynically, while slender fingers still turned in the silken plaits of Maliphants hair. Slowly, toying with it.

The way a cat played with a mouse.

The emptiness that painted itself along the visage of her partner did not hide his thoughts nor his emotions from her. Her hand wrapped within his told her all that she needed to know. And then some. He warned her away from bringing imminent and permanent restitution in his name and a tepid sigh passed over full primrose lips. “Isn’t it?”, she responded, almost delicately, while her gaze filtered over the other guests that had mingled nearby.

“Blood is the only language that some understand. This is a cavern full of warriors, in all forms, and should be treated as such. Injustice; met with justice.”

At the very least the svelte creature would have removed the wagging, fat tongue from the Nihil. A small application of the unseen would allow it to regrow. Then, to be removed again. And again. Until she was satisfied that she hadn’t failed as a tutor in imparting a truly valuable life lesson. The Dread Queen hadn’t earned her moniker through holding hands and finding mercy. It had been earned through the severity of her nature; through the way she carried herself in all things.

Srina released the flaxen hair that she had wrapped around graceful digits and let the back of her hand raise to brush delicately against Maliphants chin. Silver eyes clashed with burnished orange and she momentarily buried her less than gentle designs. This gathering held her at a disadvantage that left her tense, even more than before, because of the limitations that had been imposed by the Worm Emperor. She had known of his reach; but she had never thought Maliphant would exist in his grasp. “Itson (I know)… I am impulsive, tonight. Goheno nin (Forgive me)...”

It was only a half-apology.

They both knew that Srina was only ever as “impulsive” as she deigned to be. Her hand fell away from the chiseled porcelain of his face. If the rest of the guests hadn’t of assumed they were entwined before, they would now, and perhaps to their detriment. She was a child of the moon—and words typically failed, miserably. It was an action that spoke the loudest. Her gestures were natural.

“Since our entertainment has been pilfered—Is there something else on the agenda?”

Inanna Harth was asking the Kubaz about the Bryn’adûl again but it seemed that Skajin var Imret had become distracted since the interruption of the mercenary. She couldn’t blame him.

 

[Kal]

Raising an eyebrow of his own, Kal seemed genuinely surprised by some part of the Chiss' statement. "I believe you misunderstand me, Lord Bourous. We have minimal interest in credits, but the Sith are wealthy in other ways." Conversation interrupted by the arrival of the mortal child, Kal eyed it oddly for a long moment before taking a single piece of its "caramel popcorn", sniffing it, then consuming the strange food.

Returning his attention to the Will, the Shadow seemed thoughtful. It was not just what the Lords of the Sith desired but what he, as an individual and as an emissary of the Emperor, desired. An interesting challenge, but one Kal intended to overcome.

"As the Will, you are the voice of law within the Empire, no? A difficult job, with such a loose, contentious hierarchy. We may be able to provide a kind of contract whose violation would result in mystical backlash. A useful tool in the right hands, I'm sure." Waving a slender hand, Kal nodded towards one of several groups of Sith that looked like they'd be at each others throats were it not for the Worm Emperor's commandments.

"Or we could provide further military resources. Something more potent that the Silent Knights, perhaps - or something more numerous."

Aspect of Victory | Melydia Gold | Inanna Harth​

 

[Skajin var Imret]

Having monopolized the bowl of red beetles, Messala turned his attention to the Draelvasier-crusher. "You said you fight the Drael? Is it an organized effort, or more of a lone wolf thing? Are you recruiting? Do you need a partner?"

"Therre arre many who fight the Drrael," said Skajin, belatedly retaking his seat. "My name isz Szava Szkajin varr Imrret. I worrk with otherr Kubazz guerrillasz, with Hurrikaneansz, with Barrabelsz - anyone who szurvived the genoczidesz, and whoeverr will fight alongszide usz. Ourr numbersz have been too few forr victorry, but we have been evacuating, trraining, making common causze - arrming ourszelves."

He raised a fist, revealing the pressurized-gas dart thrower in his bracer. "My armorr - no electronicz forr theirr EMPsz to frry. Poiszon dartz that will piercze Drrael hide and crripple orr kill them." He patted his side under the silk camo-cloak. "Diszruptorsz for thick szkullz."

 

[Merridius Black]

The noise was just getting good when there a sudden...pull. The Nihil went silent, aside from an airy grunt of pain as the unseen hand tightened around his nether regions. The Dark Lord of the Spa made some mocking comment that was lost between the struggles of having one's balls crushed - though the unkempt Nihil would likely have thought little of the spiel anyway. Just as he thought something was going to pop, however, there was a sudden and heart warming relief as the invisible hand seemed to fade away. Merridius would heave forward with a sudden gasp, his mind taken too much by the feeling of nothing on his groin to have paid much mind to either Srina Talon nor Skajin var Imret . Both their voices would have faded into a background blur in the moment as he caught his breath.

But then there would be a laugh. A small, weak laugh but a laugh all the same as Merridius turned an eye towards Darth Empyrean .

"Like what you felt, pretty boy? Big enough for both you and your woman oi?" the pirate gasped into the laugh, a hand lowering to his blaster to unclip the holster. Just as he was about to draw and put a round into Maliphant's crotch, as a thank you of course, Merridius felt two meaty hooks pin his shoulders to his sides with a familiar, gregarious laugh.

"Njal? Where in the hell did you come from?" Merridius groaned as the larger, burlier man tilted the chair back and carted him away on the grating noise of metal on metal. No sooner had they gotten out of earshot than did Njal begin to blather on about getting himself killed, though he did raise a fantastic point.

"Ysalamiri...guess I'm going to Myrkr next" he groaned absent mindedly, his eyes still focused on Maliphant who was staring daggers at him right back. Merridius snickered, made direct eye contact and bit his lip while rubbing his damaged goods. He followed it up with an obscene gesture for both him and his woman before another voice pulled him away.

"Oh. You came inside. Figured you'd be out there writing your birth certificate, 'sister'." Merridius quipped at the woman with silent, quick air quotes. He wasn't sure if he doubted her as his sister or not - but either way it mattered little. His mother had abandoned him and taken her, she was just as good as a perfect stranger to him as anyone else. She would get little better than anyone else.

With another painful groan Merridius stood from the chair and slapped Njal on the shoulder, "and as for you - if you ever grew out those rabbit balls of yours, maybe you'd get more than ten dollar whores on your knob."

Bold words from a man in his situation, but that was Merridius and little would ever change. "I figured you for dead by now, Njal"

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant glanced away from Merridius Black just as he attempted to offer them a profane gesture - knowing it was coming, and not wanting to give him the obvious satisfaction of a dirty look. Instead, he glanced back to a far more enjoyable sight - the porcelain features of his plus one, dragging a slightly resilient smile to his lips if only subtly. He leaned over to speak;

"Keep being impulsive, I'd like to see how you act later.", he mused - obviously hinting at a late night. Not that she would necessarily understand it, but Maliphant enjoyed his own jests enough for the both of them.

"But no, the entertainment has run dry. All that's left here is political deals, alliances, and the hopeful plot to kill the Worm Emperor to take his throne.", Maliphant said with a glance to those groups that had formed. Most were no names with little chance to actually achieve such, but there were a few he took note of.

"Let's return to the ship. Korriban is in ruins, and there's hardly any decent sleeping quarters this side of the planet.", he said with a sigh as he rose - offering Srina his hand to assist her.

Srina Talon

 

[Njal The Black]

"I'll keep that in mind next time I sacrifice a cruise liner to the void.", Njal said flatly - though his eyes offered a twinkle of jest.

It was well known that Njal preferred to vent ships he took rather than take prisoners - often to his Primeval Gods he talked about when he was especially high. The shrines in his personal quarters to the likes of 'Balagoth' were hints at his zealous nature, but one couldn't tell if it was just an attempt at riding off the intimidating factor of the Cult or something he actually believed. Njal, at least, was rare to talk about it.

"Not dead yet, but you're pushing it.", he said with a quick shake of his head as he moved to find his own seat across from Black.

"Keep trying to drag me into unwinnable fights and I'd have half a mind to shoot you first."

Njal offered Arlis a quick nod before leaning back - finding his hand on a drink. Who's drink it was wasn't known to Njal, but for their sake he hoped they knew it was his now.

"You working for that golden headed freak now?", he said with a cock of his brow.

Merridius Black │ Arlis Cerran

 

[Inanna Harth]

Skajin var Imret

Messala nodded. "Pleasure to meet you. I am Messala."

He listened intently as the Kubaz spoke, stormy blue eyes flicking to Skajin's side as he patted the disruptor hidden beneath the cloth. He licked his lips. "My world was one of the Drael's latest conquests. I crave vengeance, but lack the resources or the armies to put up a proper fight." He had joined the Worm because he was angry with the Sith Empire for failing to guard and keep their territory. His home was lost because they didn't bother to defend her. Cophrigin V. Tintagel. The electric castle.

"If you and your company would have me, I'd join you."

 

[Skajin var Imret]

Inanna Harth

"We've exzauszted ourr time and rreszourrszesz juszt on evacuationsz, sztaying one sztep ahead. Now we'rre finally gatherring forr a prroperr strrike. When the moment comesz, and it will come, you'll be therre to help usz brreak them."

Bitter, targeted fury rolled through him, the kind of hate that he couldn't imagine these people having cause to match. He'd never considered the possibility that the Sith would be so...small.

With exceptions.

"Tell me about yourr worrld, Messzalla."

 

[Inanna Harth]

Skajin var Imret

Messala sensed the hatred in Skajin - it was hard to miss such a strong and distinct emotion. His own hatred of the genocidal horde mirrored Skajin's, though his was more chilling than furious. He didn't care whether or not the Bryn suffered. He simply wanted them gone. Wiped out. For the good of the galaxy, as well as for justice.

"Yes. I will be there." He wouldn't miss any chance to destroy the Bryn. Learning that there was an army, no matter how small, gathering to fight the horde made attending this banquet worthwhile. "What others are there among you? Anyone I might have heard of?" He'd heard reports of Silver Jedi breaking away from their Order to fight the Bryn exclusively, not caring whether their allies were Jedi or Sith. If it was true, good. The last thing he needed was to run into self-righteous knights unwilling to have him fighting at their side.

At Skajin's question, Messala's cold contempt thawed. He might despise the Bryn, but it was because he had loved what they destroyed first.

"It was a garden world. Not pristine in its natural beauty, like Naboo or Alderaan. No, Cophrigin V was lush and verdant, covered in thick jungle. It was dirty and wild, and there were only a few people living there. Mostly poor shepherds and farmers. A few pacifists of a spiritual bent, living out their lives away from the galactic wars." He took a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh. "The Sith Empire didn't consider it worth defending. I... tried to help with the evacuation, but there were more people than I could handle." The Empire could've handled it easily, but they chose not to. Didn't want to strain their resources in the war against the NIO traitors and the GA dogs. "When the Drael came, there was nothing to stop them. Those who were still trapped on the surface had nowhere to hide. Some killed their families and themselves to spare them from a worse fate. And of course, the invaders attacked any ships that tried to leave the planet after they arrived in the system. My world was gone within a day, it seemed. I was able to save my family, but not our home. Now we are refugees... but you know this story already."

 

[Skajin var Imret]

"I waszn't therre. I neverr..."

This felt like the wrong place for this conversation, but ryv that feeling.

"You'd have hated Kubindi. Moszt humansz did - the blue szun, the inszect bounty. It wasz everrything to my people. I wasz a Sava - a full prrofesszor. Alwaysz trraveling on rreszearrch. Neverr szpent enough time at home until home wasz gone.

"You might know one name. My teacherr, Laerrtia Io, the darrk Jedi in denial."

Inanna Harth

 

[Inanna Harth]

Skajin var Imret

If he'd made Skajin uncomfortable with his description of the desecration of his homeworld, Messala didn't notice, unable to read the Kubaz's expressions.

"I was the opposite. I spent most of my time at home, tinkering with droids and raising my kids. My home was my life. Now that it's gone, I'll have to build everything from the ground up all over again."

His head tilted.

" Laertia Io ... yes, I've heard of her. The one who killed her fellow Jedi and dueled with Ryv Karis on Dantooine." He wasn't surprised to find she was among those leading the charge against the Bryn. Might be interesting to work with her, given all that he'd heard about her battle prowess. Not to mention Skajin had described her as a Dark Jedi in denial... "She's your teacher, you say? Has she taken you on as a Padawan, or is the arrangement something less... formal?"

 

[Skajin var Imret]

"Yesz, Laerrtia, the Jedi-killerr. The Jedi have at leaszt evacuated szome worrldsz, but if they carred about sztopping the Brryn'adul genoszidesz hapf asz much asz they carre about theirr family feud with the Szith, they'd have szaved billionsz. Szo Laerrtia and I sharre prriorritiesz, methodsz. I am no Padawan - she szimply knowsz thingsz I do not, and I placze value on that. I spezialize in otherr fieldsz szo farr asz the Forrcze isz conczerrned. Sze hasz a brreadth of exzperriencze in the Darrk."

Inanna Harth

 

[Arlis Cerran]

"Aye," Arlis answered in her brother's stead, sharing a look with her estranged sibling before turning to face Njal, "He is. I don't think he's better for it, with the type this lot keeps around." Her tone made no secret that she thought little of the Sith, viewing their ways as backwards and stuck in the past, hanging onto dead ideals created by long dead men. Not only that, but half of them were liable to kill you just for looking at them wrong, a fact her brother had already proven thanks to what she'd begun to realize was his typical pig-headedness.

Until now she'd been able to ignore the silent conspiracy that the two of them weren't siblings, and that she only claimed as such to gain some hidden advantage, but combined with the stupidity already demonstrated she decided she'd had exactly enough of it and rounded on her brother. "What is it I would gain from pretending to be the sister of a washed-up criminal that I've had to ferry around half the galaxy since saving from prison? You're more of a daft bastard than you look if you think there's any gain in that." And that was where she'd leave it, lest he found it wise to press the issue.

Finding it in herself to relax just slightly now that the pressing matters had been dealt with, she leaned back in her chair and look about the room - and, finding it too full of posturing and unwelcome company, promptly turned her attention back to their quiet gathering.

"My name's Arlis." Another look to the stranger, as proper introductions were no doubt in order since it seemed they'd all be keeping each other company here. "You a friend of my brother, or just an unfortunate companion?"

Njal The Black | Merridius Black

 

[Aspect of Victory]

"Cool?" Qual'al echoed, and clicked her mandibles once in contemplation. "Yes. I am. I must be. You are very observant, small-thing."

Another spindly appendage reached out, giving Vaslav a kind, if condescending, pat on the head. Once more the hologram passed through him harmlessly. Qual'al did not actually acknowledge Vaslav any further after doing so, and her eyes were still on Melydia.

Qual'al-Selim had ways of getting people to talk. Kindly ways. Persuasive ways. Nothing much budged that Emperor, though. He only ever spoke when he had something to say. What a quieter galaxy this would be if more were like that. Boring, too.

"For knowledge of shaping life, you might seek Maliphant. This child's handler is also skilled in such things. You might barter with them... Or you could perform a small favor for me."

She was eager to help. Perhaps too eager.

Melydia Gold | Inanna Harth​

Darth Bourous stopped sneering at the wandering, food-distributing child, his attention drawn back to Kal. Mystical backlash? That sounded weird to him, but also useful. It could, at least, be a viable way to keep his underlings in line without having to watch them constantly.

But the sales-spirit wasn't interested in credits. Which really meant to Bourous that this was going to be an expensive transaction in a different way. Such realizations always made Bourous frown, and he did so now. Quite deeply.

"The contract. What do you want for it?"

Kal​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Skajin var Imret (I didn't get a notification for your post or I would've replied earlier, sorry.)

"The Jedi have a history of sitting on their hands in a crisis." Self-righteous prigs. "The Sith are no better. They will not act until the enemy is on their doorstep, and by then it may be too late." Squabbling children. "If Laertia has experience with both the Light and the Dark, I think she and I would find common ground. She certainly sounds more... open minded than her fellow Jedi."

Messala's gaze was briefly distracted by a bright, happy giggle from Vaslav as the she-spider's holographic leg "patted" him on the head. Qual'al-Selim then advised Melydia to seek Messala out for alchemical guidance.

"Oh chit," Messala cursed under his breath. He had already turned down an offer from Ardana Vorco to teach at her university. He hated teaching. His Children were one thing; he was their father. Students were another, and he wanted no part in it. Glancing at Melydia, he cringed and turned away from her. Please don't come over, please don't come over, please don't come over...

Aspect of Victory | Melydia Gold

 

[Melydia Gold]

Satisfied with the boy's answer, Melydia plucked a couple pieces of the popcorn from their bag. They were gone about as quickly as they were in her hands as she considered the spider's words, head tilting to the side as she did so. She cast a quick glance beyond the conversation at hand, amber gaze drifting over toward Darth Empyrean and Inanna Harth in turn, taking note at how the latter was so quick to avoid her gaze. A shame. perhaps, but Melydia found herself less distraught and more indifferent as the choices eliminated themselves.

"We could speak to them, perhaps, though they seem preoccupied," she mused, eyes shifting back to the arachnid. "What sort of favor would you ask of us?"

Aspect of Victory | Inanna Harth ​