Nuisance & Fatalities [Sith Assassins]

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] |

[OOC: It's time we met. Please reply. Let's roleplay.]

Nuisance. Fatalities. It went hand in hand with the Sith Assassins. They caused a nuisance, then they killed and it didn't necessarily come in that order. In this particular instance, they had caused a nuisance in the operations of a certain Sith Lord, and as any respectable Lord of the Sith would do, it was time to deal with the nuisance, and if necessary, cause a fatality. Cause and effect. When Ferus and his kin decided that the Black Tie Syndicate was a nuisance that required being dealt with, Darth Ayra was the cause to their effect. The unseen, unknown causality to the fact that Ayra needed the Black Tie Syndicate and it wouldn't do well if a group of well trained, expert assassins were out to eliminate her associates.

Reaching out for a meeting, Darth Ayra used her contacts in the One Sith to reach Darths Ophidia and Ferus to discuss their future. It was time to open a dialogue- if meetings between Sith Lords ever got to that point- and sort out future relations between herself and the Sith that served her rivals. She wasn't representing the Black Tie Syndicate. She hadn't even mentioned them when she had reached out. No, she was here for herself.

She was on Coruscant, but she was waiting word from either Ophidia or Ferus on where to meet. Perhaps they would send a subordinate? Maybe they would set up the trap? It didn't matter. Darth Ayra wouldn't be stopped. She would find them. Deal with them if necessary. But there were other avenues to pursue first. So she waited for word, a place to meet, whilst watching the Coruscant traffic whizz past atop of a skyscraper she had selected simply for the view.

 

[Darth Ferus]

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[member="Darth Ayra"] .

It had been years, many years, since this Sith Lord had heard her name. From the Ferus before him, the name was shrouded in secrecy, and power. After the fall of the New Order and rebirth of Ferus the First, she and her master had vanished from record. So to Ferus the Abomination, when a woman claiming to be this old Lord sent a message looking to chat, curiosity was peaked.

If he had not been so far away from the planet as he was when Ayra came, the Sith would have shown himself and spoken to the woman alone. To validate and deal with as need be. But alas he was away, and so it fell to [member="Darth Ophidia"] to deal with what could be known as an incursion. Before him was a holotransmitter, and a call between himself and Death was active.

"I would be careful when dealing with this woman, Pale," Code names were important when a long distance call was made. "She had dropped off the radar for so long I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't even her, but a trap. But if it is her, hear what she has to say, or offer. She could be very useful, and a Sith that has gone silent usually means plans are being made. When they speak however, is when they're set in motion. Keep the Assassins from falling prey to another attack Pale, can't have the galaxy thinking we're easy targets."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

As [member="Darth Ferus"] spoke, Ophidia let her gold coin roll over her knuckles and into her palm before appearing once more at the top and repeating the cycle. She listened to his words in silence, staring intently at the entirety of his holographic form, as she was wont to do when someone spoke to her. He advised her of caution, it was indeed possible for it to be a trap or a ploy. Her instincts told her it was not, but the advice was noted. When he came with his last words, she placed her coin down on the table.

"Is that all, Red?"

She gave him a second to mention any further issues he wished to address while the channel was open. Though, she really did dislike keeping a visitor waiting and would rather get the matter in motion than sit there talking about it.

"I will send you some coordinates to relay to this @Darth Arya for a meeting."

Opening another channel would only create more risks if this did in fact turn out to be a trap. The coordinates she relayed would direct one to a storage facility in the transition between the upper and lower levels of Coruscant. It was scheduled to be empty at the moment, neutral and spacious enough for a meeting. She ended the transmission and picked up the coin from the table. With a twist of her wrist, it vanished from her hand.

The Pale Assassin pulled up her hood and clasped her hands behind her back as she exited her offices. Upon stepping past the threshold, her appearance shifted into that of a Miralan and she passed through corridors unmentioned to the uninitiated.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] |

Darth Ayra's gaze was torn away from the skyscrapers of Coruscant to the chrono on her wrist. Displayed before her in text, via a holographic display, appeared a set of coordinates. Feeling out with her powers in the Force, she detected that this was meant to be for her, knowing that it was from the Sith Assassins. Discreet, she thought quietly, as she turned away from the balcony, heading towards the flight of stairs that would carry her to her speeder.

Maneuvering her vehicle through the lines of traffic, Ayra navigated her way through Coruscant towards the location that had been sent to her. When she arrived outside the warehouse, she powered down the speeder and climbed off it, lifting both hands to the cowl of her robe to check that it concealed her appropriately. Lowering her hand to pat her Lightsaber- a practiced, but subconscious movement born more out of habit- Ayra checked that it was on her hip still before entering the warehouse.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The warehouse was rather large, empty, and mostly shrouded in a lack of light. To the average human eye, the walls were obscure, but visible. Above, one would barely be able to see the shape of lamps. The far wall, however, was only darkness. Already from the entrance, one would be able to see an area illuminated from above by a single active lamp. in the middle of the illuminated field, there was a simple table and two chairs opposed to each other.

Behind the far chair stood a figure in the dark cloaks so customary to the Sith. However, no great presence emanated it. The light from above let the hood cast a shadow over the figure's face, and the draped cloak made gender difficult to guess at a distance. However, upon approach, one would probably be able to see the slender, feminine figure beneath the cloth and perhaps the very tip of a pale-green, pointed nose. Hands, gloved in leather, rested on the back of the chair. She did not speak nor visibly shift, but simply waited for Arya to approach.

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] |

Hooded, shrouded in mystery, Darth Ayra entered the warehouse and made her way deeper into the complex. Her senses were heightened and she made no efforts to conceal her presence or power, as she did the majority of the time. The individuals and entities that the Dark Lord met with were made up of morals, views and opinions that made it difficult to coerce, manipulate and conduct business with, if they ever discovered that the woman they were meeting with was a genuine Sith Lord.

But in this instance, Darth Ayra didn't need to limit herself. Coruscant was the bastion and home of the One Sith. The individuals that she was meeting with were Sith, like herself. She knew that if she ever wanted to gain the allegiance of Ferus and his assassins, then she would need to display how strong and powerful she was. Without power, she would never gain victory and the Sith only followed these who could achieve it.

Her eyes found the hooded figure in the corner of the room. She hadn't even seen Ophidia at first, having moved to head in the other direction. How deceptive, Darth Ayra thought as she made her way over to the Sith Assassin. They will be most useful, if I can only just gain their allegiance.

"Who are you?" asked the Dark Lord, coming to a stop a few yards from where Ophidia stood.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

As Darth Arya spoke, the cloaked figure finally moved. She raised her head, bringing her lips to visibility. Under the hood, her ember-like irises burned in stark contrast to the green of her skin. Her presence remained contained. Only when looking at her did her power become apparent. She observed the visitor for a moment before parting her lips in reply.

"I am the Pale."

No title of Darth would be given. Such names were only for a few, and on another arena entirely. Some threw their names about frivolously, but this assassin knew obscurity to be her greatest asset. Even if the name was known, there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt that this was in fact her. Assassins were always a confusing kindle, but effective in their expertise.

The woman's left hand moved, gesturing to the chairs and the table.

"Shall we?"

The furniture was simply spartan in its design, yet not directly uncomfortable. The simple surfaces stood to show that there were no traps or tricks in play. In a sense, it was a sign of good faith - as good a faith one could have in a meeting between Sith.

[member="Darth Ayra"] [member="Darth Ferus"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Darth Ferus"] |

Darth Ayra remained standing, eyes fixated on the Sith Assassin. Waving her hand, almost as if to physically dismiss the Pale's gesture, she said: "I prefer to stand." Lowering her hand back to her side, Ayra moved to sideways so as to face Ophidia directly. She kept enough space between both of them, so that she would have enough time to draw her lightsaber. She was confident enough in her abilities to draw before the Pale could ever begin her attack, if it hadn't already.

Darth Ayra was aware enough that the Sith Assassins could have already undone her before she had ventured into this warehouse. As she would converse with the Pale, she was aware that there might have been several more of them in close proximity, observing the situation and awaiting the tell that would instruct them to launch their attack. Paranoid, the Dark Lord would keep both eyes on the Pale and her senses elsewhere, just waiting for them to strike.

"I had expected Ferus. Are you the leader of the Sith Assassins?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

As her gesture was dismissed, the Pale calmly gathered her hands on front of her. Her posture didn't change and her expression maintained it's shrewd neutrality. She let her gloved hands intertwine. It was to give the impression that she was not going to draw her lightsabre. Her hands were placed at a disadvantage, after all.

"Very well, we will stand."

If there were any assassins in the vicinity, then they were hidden beyond detection. The Pale kept her eyes on Ayra at any moment, seemingly not needing to blink. She noted the decline and Ayra's positioning. Their visitor was suspicious, rightfully so. She was dealing with a shadow organisation, and not her usual contact.

"If I were, would I tell you? If I were not, would I lie?"

She made no notion to move, but remained like a dark column in the emptiness of the room. In her voice there was almost a tone of playfulness, and for a split second one could almost detect a hint of a smile as she spoke her little riddle. Was she the leader, or was she an envoy? Perhaps she was only an illusion. Was the leader watching from the shadows?

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Ophidia"] |

Darth Ayra watched the Pale for a long time. Her stare was held longer than mere seconds, indicative of making another uncomfortable. No, this lasted for awhile and unreasonably so. Nothing that the assassin had said required the other Sith to try and intimidate her, nor was it Darth Ayra's goal to do so. It wasn't to gauge a reaction or to study the Pale. No, perhaps it was just because she could stand there and watch. That she was in control of all scenarios, including this one.

Breaking her silence, Darth Ayra said: "No matter. I have been aware of your organization for a long time. But it is finally time we began working together towards a common goal: the Jedi."

 

[Darth Ophidia]

A moment of silence and a long one at that. the Pale did not break it, nor did it really seem to affect her in any way. Her lips remained closed, without a twitch; her eyes never blinked nor strayed. The only apparent movement was the fluent expansion and contraction of her midriff as she drew steady breaths through the green, pointed nose. When Ayra broke the silence with her proposal, the Pale parted her lips barely to better engage in the conversation.

"The Jedi. What do you propose?"

The annihilation of the Jedi Order was on the to-do list of every Sith in the Galaxy, and many more. It was a sure-fire way to get anyone's attention. Of course, one would need a strong selling point.

[member="Darth Ayra"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Darth Ophidia"] |

Keeping her gaze on the Pale, Darth Ayra replied: "I have certain targets. These individuals that I require you to assassinate will, in turn, help me edge closer to my goal. Some of these people aren't necessarily Jedi or even associated to the Jedi Order. Some of these individuals are competitors in business sectors, such as ship and weapon manufacturers. Others hold certain objects- such as Holocrons- that hold information that I need for my schemes."

"Most of these people are criminals, ranging from small time smugglers to fully fledged crime lords. Regardless, these people are interconnected. They each hold resources, weapons and information that, when taken away from them, will bring me closer to destroying the Jedi. I target all Jedi, not just a specific sect or branch. Whilst the Jedi Order has fragmented into several divisions that serve the Galactic Republic, Galactic Alliance and Silver Sanctum, they are all the enemy and must be destroyed."

"Saying all of this, I do not operate under false assumptions or fallacies. I am aware of the dichotomy that all Sith share with each other. The dark side is individualistic in it's pursuits and so I will always be a rival in your eyes and vice versa, for we will always compete with each other when it comes to ascertaining power. I do not propose that the Sith Assassins partner with me; serve me; or enter some form of alliance. I do not want either of these things from you or the other Sith Assassins."

"I make this proposition because it is mutually beneficial for you, the Pale, to assassinate these targets, that will in turn, bring us both closer to destroying the Jedi. Regardless of our beliefs, doctrines or the way that we decide to operate, the destruction of the Jedi Order has been a promise that the Sith Order have absolved themselves to complete since it's very foundation. I will destroy the Jedi, with or without you."

Falling silent, Darth Ayra made no cliche questions or ultimatums at the end of her proposition. She had made it clear that this was a decision only the Pale could make; and she had made it clear without trying to alienate her with a false dichotomy, such as the assumption that she- Darth Ayra- was stronger and more powerful than the Pale, and consequentially, she should just agree to serve the other Sith on that basis alone.

No. Darth Ayra had made her case without false assumptions and without the false fallacy that she, as an individual, was larger and more powerful than the Sith Assassins as a whole. Gaining the assistance- not the allegiance- of the Pale and her group would quicken the process of destroying the Jedi Order, without stepping out of bounds or Darth Ayra's own beliefs. Some would way that this was a limitation that she had placed on herself, which in turn weakened her position in the grand scheme of things, but Darth Ayra only sought the allegiance and servitude of only one other, for she was not blinded by the prospect of power, but rather illuminated to the nuances that came with it.

Watching the Sith Assassins quietly, Darth Ayra awaited her response.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

As Darth Ayra spoke, the Pale listened. She followed every syllable, every motion. In her line of work, one could not afford to miss anything. The prospect was simple enough to understand. Ayra wanted to focus forces toward a common goal which would, supposedly, target the Jedi Order as a whole and thus benefit all the Sith of the galaxy. It was a compelling case, the speech was good, but not one they would jump on without negotiation. Mutually beneficial was a good starting point, but they were not sold just yet.

"If we are to assassinate your targets, then we need a little more than mutually beneficial. Operations are costly. The potential destruction of the Jedi Order covers the risk, but not the cost."

Costs could include bribes, ships, equipment, information, and much more. Maintaining an organisation like the Sith Assassins was costly in itself. so every client had to pay their share, or else there would be no assassins to commission. It was simply a matter of business.

Spoiler

I'm sorry these are short and far between. I have a hard time cooking up posts lately.

[member="Darth Ayra"]