Private Of Schemes and Plots

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis
​

Once she had disconnected from the call with Allyson Locke and Madelyn Lowe , the expense report from the Shadow set aside and earmarked for payment, she immediately sent a communications signal to her two oldest allies. She could do the proposal by herself as Dark Councilor, but she knew who held Madelyn's true loyalties and their support for what was to come would be important. She did not foresee either of them opposing the installation of another governor loyal to them within the Assembly, but it would be the first domino in new schemes and plots by Sith that had successfully done wonders when they worked together.

When the holo connected, she would offer both Zambrano Lords a smile, saying, "Allyson Locke has successfully assassinated the governor of Varonat and seeks to have Madelyn Lowe, in addition to her position as Minister, installed as the governor in his place. I intend to sponsor and propose the ascension legislation myself, but I wanted to inform you both as well of these developments. I feel we have other issues to discuss as well, including the Commonwealth's issues."

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Dromund Kaas, New Kaas City, Sith Citadel...

The Shadowed Dominion.

The skies above Dromund Kaas churned with unkempt fury, streaks of purple and crimson lightning cracked through the sky with the frenzy of a berserker's axe. In the days of the past smog clouds once billowed skyward as the ceaseless grinding of industry forged ever forward, all across the globe the iron fist of the Kainate held the world firm. Factories operated without end driven from the disciplined hand of their master's as war material, food, and valuable resources rolled off assembly lines and put through the intricate chain to be consumed by the Kainate. It was an unprecedented military buildup, a process driven by none other than the Dark Lord of the Sith, the Undying King, Elysian Grandeval Mortarch, the Sovereign of Dromund Kaas, and Shadow Hand of the Kainate Darth Prazutis.​

​

Complacency was death. A refusal to evolve saw even gods killed, and it wasn't a process he would allow the Kainate to fall into. Even now they stood as the strongest economic bastion within the Sith Order, the most technologically advanced Sith in the entire galaxy. They stood in a powerful place, and it wasn't a mantle he was willing to relinquish to anyone, and that meant they needed to work harder. So, the Shadow Hand had brought Darth Xyrah to him to work directly with, putting to task the might of the dark science divisions, taking a direct hand in technological developments to push the boundaries of what is, to what could be. It was a large-scale operation to retrofit, to upgrade the entirety of the Kainate military and push them so far beyon contemporary groups, there was no question to their superiority. The first step of the process began with the Shadow Armada. The deep investment of the Kainate into Dromund Kaas had paid off greatly, the world had become a powerful economic boon to their industrial complex. ​

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Through the deal set up with Ivalyn Yvarro Dromund Kaas now possessed the latest and greatest in environmental technology, scrubbing the atmosphere clean to prevent the industrial might from poisoning the world. Every day he dug his grip deeper into the very fabric, the bone marrow of the holy world, carving Kainite dominance so deep it was indisputable, incorrigible. The Shadow Hand sat atop his colossal throne, its blackened stone rising like the bones of a great colossus, that saw him towering above the throne room before him. It had been a busy day that saw the Pit of Supplication, the recessed amphitheater into the wall above opposite of the throne filled with those who had come to seek audience with the Sovereign. It had been a revolving door of agents, officials, and technocrats from the Shadow Mind to address the expansions in technological innovation. The cloaked visage of Typhojem sat on the arm of his throne, an instrumental assistant in his daily operations. The hologram spoke up then, cutting through a report from the Shadow Mind. "Dark Councilor Darth Arcanix is attempting to reach you. Shall I patch her through?" The Shadow Hand dismissed the attendant with the wave of a hand, looking towards the AI then "Yes I'll receive her call here." ​

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The Lady of Secrets wasted no time, the very moment her presence emerged in the holo call she cut straight to pressing business. "Allyson Locke has successfully assassinated the governor of Varonat and seeks to have Madelyn Lowe, in addition to her position as Minister, installed as the governor in his place. I intend to sponsor and propose the ascension legislation myself, but I wanted to inform you both as well of these developments. I feel we have other issues to discuss as well, including the Commonwealth's issues." The news wasn't dissimilar to what he was hearing from the Eyes of the Dyarchy, if anything it confirmed his suspicions. Good. It was one more step forward, one more seat secured, their influence continuing to spread. "Good. Every governor placed, every minister swayed, all of it tightens the net. Let them believe it innocuous. You'll have no resistance from us, only support and expectation. This is the first move in a much longer game. Once Lowe is governor it will position us comfortably to pass any legislation, we deem necessary through the assembly. As for the Commonwealth it has grown to a point where it needs to be addressed. Before the situation becomes untenable, we have time to kill this problem in its crib." ​

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Taeli Raaf | Darth Carnifex ​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The Commonwealth," intoned the voice of the Eternal Father as His hologram materialized into existence, wreathed in a cerulean veil. He was not on Dromund Kaas, nor the Malsheem, but on the world of Remnicore attending to matters esoteric. That hidden world of basalt rock and platinum streams was one of the Kainate's closely guarded secrets, a hidden laboratory and epicenter of metaphysical research into the powers of Mortis and the Wellspring. Few knew of it's existence, even fewer had set foot upon it's surface.

"Has grown too accustomed to arrogance," continued Darth Carnifex. "These Imperials vex me with their implied impudence, as though they have a right to a voice at our table. Their beliefs are poisonous." His image flickered, the connection wavering before strengthening as the alignment dish maintaining the connection adjusting to the fluctuations of Remnicore's dead atmosphere.

"I assume you have a handle on the situation, Taeli?"

Darth Prazutis | Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis
​

The installation of Madelyn into the Assembly, in addition to her role as Ministry of Order to form the law enforcements aspects of the new Empire, would certainly ease their ability to pass through beneficial legislation and policies for their alliance. The disappearance or revelation of treachery from other governors in the Assembly had also weakened the main opposition forces against the Revivalists and their agenda. She fully intended to accelerate those efforts to bring stability on the home front, but first the matter of the Commonwealth needed to be addressed.

"To a degree," she would reply to her oldest ally. She understood all too well his distaste for pure Imperialism and what it could spawn, although it had also proven useful in the past. "The Blackwall is what is creating the current tensions and could be fueling desire to undertake rash actions out of sense of duty to their worlds and wounded pride. I have convinced Ivalyn and, through her Kelora, to seek redress through the Assembly before they pursue something that could lead to a more... punitive course of events."

She had not hidden her own views on the Blackwall and its creation. It was a wasteful disruption, and while useful as a defensive measure, it could have been accomplished with more finesse than it had been. She even understood the Emperor's desire to create a layer of mystique and apprehension about what the Sith might be doing, but that could have been accomplished without creating undue headaches for every world and as she worked to revitalize the economic and domestic spheres of the Empire. Severing from the galaxy was not an answer to that and limited their ability to bring in more difficult resources to source domestically than it needed to be.

"I suspect the legislation that Ivalyn proposes will seek a carveout of the Blackwall from Commonwealth worlds behind it such as Najarka. I do intend to sponsor this legislation once it is prepared and gave Ivalyn my assurances that she could call upon my support as she looked to gather the votes." She would turn contemplative. "She at least understood that negotiations with governors would have prices attached to them, and I believe it is there that mitigating factors could be created to halt any drift away from our orbit and a further realignment into ours, so long as they were coached in a way that they could be palatable to their pride and further our agenda."

 

[Darth Prazutis]

The holo shimmered around him, crimson light bleeding from the edge of the frame as Prazutis leaned forward slightly, like a giant predator shifting its weight before the pounce. Smoke curled behind his shoulders from braziers lit with blue flame, illuminating the woven runes etched into the darkness of his robes. "Pride." Prazutis echoed, his baritone voice carved from iron and ash. "The weakness most easily mistaken for strength. Appease it...but never indulge it." The Shadow Hand let the silence linger for a moment, the force itself stilling before his will resumed and he continued to speak. "Let the Commonwealth believe they win a concession. A carveout they name. A treaty they write. But the shape of the cage doesn't matter to the beast so long as the bars remain."

The Shadow Hand's gaze moved, to meet the Eternal Father's flickering image beside Taeli. In his presence he was not lesser, among the Dyarchy he was the shadow to the fire, the blade to the crown they spoke as one. They were intertwined, two sides to the same inexorable end pursuing the Kainate forward. "Ivalyn and Kelora may walk the assembly floor now, but they are ours, regardless of if they know it or not. Their loyalty needs not be demanded, only engineered or guided forward to the vision we have ushered them towards."

Then he focused on Taeli directly, his tone deepening: "Sponsor the legislation. Let them rally behind her and whisper that she is their voice, and while they do? We build the scaffolding around them. Dependency masked as cooperation. If Najarka and the others want independence behind the veil, let them pay for it with their sovereignty, brick by brick." There was another pause then, before a final, colder, heavier note. "The Blackwall was never meant to be elegant. It was meant to divide, to corral. Let the galaxy blame its creator. Let that hatred drive them into the arms of those who offer relief, respite."

The deep robes of Zâvrai Kôzkar concealed most of his face, his eyes burning like twin hellish orbs as he leaned closer. "We play the long game with all of them. We will break their pride, by letting them keep it."

Taeli Raaf | Darth Carnifex ​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The Blackwall is ordained, it's purpose is grander than any material burden."

Though Darth Empyrean had created it, Darth Carnifex had elevated it through His contributions. The Stormseeds that now obfuscated the Empire had been first tested during the Stygian Campaign, used to strategically isolate and encircle obstinate star systems and enemy fleet formations. More than one Jedi or Mandalorian battle fleet had been consumed by the storm, picked apart by the Shadow Armada without a sound.

Darth Carnifex's hologram warbled with the power of the Dark Side, "We are of the same mind in this, my old friend. The Commonwealth's greater arrogance shall be tempered, and their obeisance to the Empire reaffirmed. Let them petition and debate in the Assembly, pass whatever legislation makes them feel at ease. In the end, it is the Sith who rule. We are Eternal."

Taeli Raaf | Darth Prazutis ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis
​

For a long, silent moment, her gaze would turn to Kaine as he spoke about the Blackwall being ordained and the material issues being inconsequential. A slow blink would send across her exact thoughts on the Blackwall; a powerful defensive tool for their space, yes, but it was extremely inconvenient when one was trying to revitalize an economy and build a stable state. Autarky could only carry an empire so far, and while the Kainate was self-sufficient through the Malsheem, even that required the stripping of resources across a thousand unclaimed worlds across the Rim and Unknown Regions that no one knew about or would ever know about now.

Still at least it sounded like the dyarchy of the Kainate would support whatever the Commonwealth put forward next, price pending of course, which was good. It would allow them to turn to their next order of business.

"As I sure you are aware, Braxus, Kaine, from your intelligence network, the Imperial Confederation has begun expanding their way towards the Holy Worlds and the Caldera. If my own network's predictions are correct, and I have little reason to doubt them, they'll be within striking distance once they claim Minntooine. It would seem to me, considering our power bases and others in the region, that it would behoove us to begin defensive preparations against the Imperials and mobilize the resources of the full Empire in this regard, not merely our own local forces. With the subject of the Assembly, I would propose we sponsor legislation in the Assemly to officially relegate resources to the Holy Worlds for this campaign."

As both of them would also know, it would also strengthen their own power within the Empire, especially if the defense was successful.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

The Shadow Hand stirred. The light from the holoprojector cast flickering shades across his form, catching the etched crimson runes of Zâvrai Kôzkar and setting them ablaze. The throne groaned as he leaned forward, vast gauntlets folding together before him like the gates of an iron mausoleum. "A prelude to war, then." Prazutis said, his voice a thunderous undertone beneath the warble of the holofeed. "The Imperial Confederation gnaws at the edge of the Caldera like vermin drawn to flame, and yet..." A pause. "There will be no Caldera for them to reach." He let the silence hang for a heartbeat before continuing. "Your proposal finds us aligned, Taeli. Mobilization is not merely prudent, it is already underway. The Assembly must ratify what I have begun. The first tier of reinforcement has already been prepared under the authority of the Sanctum Aegis Directive, a Strategic Writ enforcing wartime powers. It empowers us to establish sealed defense corridors across priority systems, under our oversight."

He lifted one armored hand, fingers curling like a vice. "The Holy Worlds. Ziost. Dromund Kaas. Korriban. Even Krayiss II. All those within the Stygian Caldera's sphere of influence. We will weave a shield not merely of ships and steel, but of will, fortified staging grounds, interdiction zones, defensive corridors, and strategic material stockpiles. The Directive authorizes immediate allocation of all necessary resources, without delay." His burning gaze swept across them both. The Dark Lord sent the draft of the legislation to the Dark Councilor for her review, knowing the Dyarchy are unified on the subject already. Then, more coldly:

"The Confederation wishes to march on the divine. We shall give them their pilgrimage, into annihilation. We are eternal."

Taeli Raaf | Darth Carnifex​