Private Only Sharp When It Shines

[Ivalyn Yvarro]

Qosantyra, Dosuun

The light caught on the kyber-inlaid floor like shards of a forgotten constellation, fractured and sharp beneath polished marble. Afternoon sun poured in through high, prismed skylights, its glow filtered by intricately carved glass to cast long patterns of light and shadow that shifted across the vast chamber. The Starlight Atrium, grand reception hall of the Hyacinth Palace, had been prepared to perfection, but not ostentatiously so. The space breathed diplomacy. It echoed with the weight of ceremony, the hush of poised violence, and the promise of legacy negotiated.

At the head of the chamber stood Grand Vizier Ivalyn Yvarro, framed beneath a vaulted arch of gilded stone and dusky lavender drapery. She wore a high-collared coat of midnight blue velvet trimmed in imperial silver, with a cream blouse of fine silk fastened by a single onyx brooch at the throat. Her gloves were pinned between her fingers, never quite worn, never quite absent. Her hair was swept into a style not unlike the old nobility of Dosuun, unapologetically aristocratic, but modernized just enough to be dangerous.

Every detail of her presence was intentional. From the line of her posture to the barely-there smile on her lips, Ivalyn stood not as a supplicant to power, but as its architect.

A string quartet played from behind a lattice of vine, wrought brass, their instruments tuned to the acoustics of the hall. The melody was Commonwealth, subtle, melancholic, threaded with restraint. Servants in obsidian-gray livery moved soundlessly across the atrium's periphery, setting down carved decanters of scarlet wine and trays of smoked fruits glazed in exotic spice.

Beneath the chandeliers of suspended kyber, the seating arrangement was carefully measured: a central table of pale marble with inlaid gold filigree, low enough to suggest conversation, but long enough to command distance. It was neither round nor square, no, its shape resembled the First Order's hexagon. It had no place for a throne.

Not today.

The Dark Council's seats awaited, set with quiet intention, neither raised nor diminished. This was not about theater. It was about intent. And intent, like everything else in this city, was a currency closely guarded.

From beyond the vaulted doors, bootsteps echoed, a signal of arrival.

Ivalyn inhaled once through her nose, sharp and slow, as if tasting the air for smoke. A quiet exhale followed, soft and even. Her gaze drifted to the mirrored inlays in the atrium floor, where her reflection gleamed like a cut stone. There was no fear in her. No reverence. Just the stillness of someone long prepared to be misunderstood.

And when she spoke, it was not for the servants, nor for the music, nor for the city pulsing quietly outside the palace walls. It was for herself. Today the Dark Council members would arrive polished and pristine, and Ivalyn smiled a dangerously polite smile, after all, things were only sharp when they shined.

Darth Malum of House Marr | Taeli Raaf | Quinn Varanin | Davorin Orsava ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Qosantyra, Dosuun
Ivalyn Yvarro Quinn Varanin Davorin Orsava Darth Malum of House Marr
​

"Remember what I told you about the people of the Commonwealth," she would say to those accompanying her. "They are a proud people, highly protective of their cultural identity."

Recent events had underscored to Darth Arcanix the need for this second round of negotiations between the Sith Empire and the Commonwealth, to ensure the continued relationship was maintained. Strain had started to show because of unclear terms and actions undertaken by other members of the Sith, and while part of that could be chalked up to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and the entire galaxy shifting slightly, it had created a tension point she was seeking to ease.

Unlike last time, the negotiations were not taking place on a world recently subsumed by the Sith into their sphere of influence like Najarka. This round was being held on Dosuun itself, within the palace on Qosantyra. It only underscored the next point she would remind those accompanying her of.

"At present, the Commonwealth has the advantage in these proceedings. They are taking place on their capital world, giving them the home field. They are the injured party in this as it was the actions of the Third Legion that violated part of their sovereignty and part of the Najarka Accords, even with the language being vague before. It was our duty as the overlord in that vassalization agreement that we not act against them. So be prepared for that point to be raised and needing addressed."

The retinue the Lady of Secrets had brought with her to these negotiations was indicative of how seriously the Dark Councilor was taking this issue. Another Dark Councilor, the young woman that was looking for more influence in coordinating Sith foreign policy and diplomatic relations. Taeli intended to have Quinn take the lead in the talks, to see if she had the ability to navigate delicate issues and had the ability to assume the Ministerial role she desired. A test, but one where Taeli herself would be on hand, much like last time, to gently guide and smooth over tension points to come to a firm agreement.

As the doors to the opulent chamber opened, with Ivalyn waiting for them, she affixed a calm expression to her face with that gentle smile at the corner of her lips.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Ivalyn Yvarro //: Taeli Raaf //: Darth Malum of House Marr //: Davorin Orsava //:
//: Attire //:

Quinn had only just returned to Sith space after her excursion into Black Sun territory. The experience had been eye-opening, but also jarring.

She had grown used to the grunge and chaos of the underworld. Here, in the worlds of the Commonwealth, order and structure reigned supreme. A part of her longed to return to the hive of scum and villainy where she could carve out a place that didn't demand she be a Princess.

She stayed quiet, listening to her Master's ramblings — words meant to steady the group for the talks. Quinn hadn't been fully briefed on the relationship between the Third Legion and the Commonwealth. Still, from what little she knew, it was not favorable. An unfortunate oversight.

Thankfully, her Master was there to smooth things over. She was beginning to realize that was often their role.

"Why didn't we meet somewhere neutral?" she asked softly, though Quinn already knew the answer. The Sith had failed to honor past agreements and were now forced to mend the damage.

It was going to be an uphill climb. Quinn sighed quietly, trying to ready herself. She reminded herself she'd done this before, and this wasn't Susevfi. Confidence steadied her. With her Master at her side, she was in good hands.

As the ornate doors opened, her aloof expression melted into a bright smile tailored for a court. Slender fingers brushed back her white-blonde hair as she stepped forward to stand beside her Master.

Music floated softly through the chamber, easing her nerves. The Commonwealth's grandeur was unmistakable, embodied in its Grand Vizier.

She bowed her head with a warm smile. "Grand Vizier Yvarro, I hope we haven't kept you waiting too long."

Taking in the hall, she let her smile linger.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I am Quinn Varanin, Princess of the Sith Empire."

She purposefully left Eshan unsaid. It no longer held station in the Empire, it's only was a reminder of her exile.

 

[Ivalyn Yvarro]

Taeli Raaf | Quinn Varanin​

Grand Vizier Ivalyn Yvarro stood at the edge of the atrium, where the soft strains of the string quartet still lingered, weaving gently through the air. Her heels were planted with quiet certainty on the polished floor, the light catching faintly on the blood-gold accents of her attire. Before her, the hexagonal conference table sat like a compass point, ready, waiting.

She watched with measured interest as Lady Taeli Raaf approached, accompanied by a young woman whose bearing betrayed discipline, and whose pallor and movement suggested Echani heritage, if Ivalyn had to guess.

Ivalyn waited until the pair drew nearer before acknowledging the younger woman's bowed head with a subtle incline of her own. The introduction was made, a princess of the Sith Empire.

The Grand Vizier's reply came with a gentle smile, polite, poised.

"Not at all, Princess. Do you prefer Varanin, or Quinn?" Her voice carried with it the smooth cadence of old Dosuun. "Allow me to formally welcome you both, to the Commonwealth, and to Dosuun. I trust your journey was uneventful?"

She turned then to Lady Raaf with a nod of appreciation.

"Lady Raaf, thank you for your continued attention to this matter. It is, of course, regrettable that we find ourselves convening under such strained circumstances. And yet," her tone lightened slightly, though never flippant, "perhaps there is still room for these discussions to bear fruit for all parties."

With a graceful gesture toward the table, she continued.

"Please, sit. You may request any refreshment from the palace waitstaff." A quiet nod to a nearby steward saw motion ripple across the periphery of the chamber.

Taking her place at the hexagonal table, Ivalyn touched the embedded control panel and summoned the holographic projection. As the lights in the atrium dimmed subtly, a rotating star map materialized above the center, subdued blues, reds, and golds flickering across their features.

"When last we spoke, at Kiruaagam, on Najarka, the Commonwealth and the Sith Order stood in very different positions." Her voice remained composed as she gestured to the map. Star systems shifted between temporal overlays, highlighting zones of sovereignty, contested space, and emergent anomalies.

"Since that time, we have endured the enforcement of the Blackwall and the dislocations brought by Planeshift. These events have introduced severe complications to both our borders and our sovereignty."

She tapped to zoom into one of quadrants, where crimson outlines bled into neutral sectors.

"A recent example, Ryoone. Prior to Planeshift, it lay beyond our periphery. Post-Planeshift, it was deposited well within our territory. Conversely, Alpinn, once within the Home Sector, now finds itself displaced. We are actively working to address and stabilize these anomalies."

The map adjusted again, highlighting the shifting designations.

"Before Planeshift, with the support of Lady Raaf, the Commonwealth undertook a carefully measured expansion, stewarding worlds that were of significant value to the Sith, particularly in manufacturing and agricultural capacity. Many of these were previously underutilized or neglected. It was, and remains, a matter of mutual strategic benefit."

As if on cue, a silver service trolley arrived, and the table was graced with a curated selection of Dosuunian and Galidraani-origin tea blends, scones, and seasonal preserves, nothing ostentatious, but carefully chosen.

She offered a soft smile, not of warmth, but of intent.

"Let us begin, then, with clarity and with civility."