Pursuit of Knowledge

[Taeli Raaf]

It was always nice to meet someone who actually understood that brute strength approaches, whether it be through over-reliance on strength of arms or the Force, was refreshing. These were all well and good, but was nothing compared to finesse, intelligence, and planning. She thinly smiled as Ara quipped about her distaste for stronger drink, not bothering to give it a reply. Sith always needed to be in full control of their faculties, and any limitations, even slight, could be catastrophically detrimental.

But, the girl was hitting on what they had been circling around; finally giving her prediction on who she actually worked for. For a guess, [member="Ara Zambrano"] was actually half right, but it did reveal the girl wasn't acting, exactly, from a position of knowledge. It would seem her little trail of bread crumbs still remained undiscovered. A shame.

"Acting Grand Marshal," she replied, not addressing the other part of her statements yet. Instead, she raised the small stirring spoon for her tea, examining it. "I thank you for the several compliments you have paid me. You are correct it has taken no small amount of skill, intelligence, and planning to reach my position."

She brought the spoon down, tapping it against her glass three times. Each tap rang out, a light melodious tune... and as one every single patron and staff member in the cafe stopped what they were doing and started making their way out of the cafe, leaving the two women alone. Another demonstration, another game, but this one was more sending a message to the girl about who exactly she was dealing with. The wolfish grin on Ara's face would be met with a slowly developing sly one on Taeli's.

"However, you are only half right," Taeli continued, setting the spoon down. "Momna ra."

Dark tattoos formed around Taeli's eyes, and like water flowing over a smooth surface, the light side facade melted away and her true aura revealed itself, in all its power.

"I might report to your grandfather, but I didn't need his help to attain this position or sustain my masquerade," Taeli said, purples eyes having shifted to yellow.

 

[Ara Zambrano]

The sharp sound of metal against crystal rang out, one eyebrow arched prettily in surprise and silent question as the shuffle of bodies around them preceded the emptying of the room around the two Masters. Silence settled around them, the void of presences save their own setting off the slightest of discomforts in the Ren, only visible in the smallest of frowns and narrowing of the eyes. Her grin never faded, although it grew sharper, tension in the muscles around it as [member="Taeli Raaf"] ‘s own sly grin answered.

There were no more games to be played, no witnesses to pander to. It was now merely the two women, enemies for all intents and purposes, and a secret that burned between them.

Momna ra.

Power washed over them, a torrent of energy that crackled at her skin, goosebumps raised as it trailed across her spine and prickled at her nerves. Pure crimson rolled over the Ren’s irises, her own amber lost in response to the darkness that flooded from the Jedi and pushed against her own, complimentary Forces snapping against each other, testing.

The softest of sighs escaped Ara’s lips, both in satisfaction of her suspicions being confirmed in full, however partially correct they might be, and in pleasure. Her gaze traced the delicate curves of the tattoos that had bloomed around her companion’s eyes, now a harsh gold hue compared to the violet of before.

”It seems he and I have much to discuss, next we meet.”

The flat statement revealed little, a simple matter of fact rather than a shock or betrayal another might have exhibited. Everything from Ara, from the moment Taeli tapped her glass, had been controlled explicitly, minute movements giving away the deeper responses, a slight downturn of the lip, narrowing of the eyes, and her tone of voice was no different. Still relaxed, still silky smooth, with a honeyed lilt to it, yet there was an undercurrent of surprise if one searched deeply enough.

”Impressive, I must admit. A Sith ability, I presume?”

Interest replaced surprise, a wonder at the ability that so beautifully and completely masked Taeli’s essence from the Jedi to the extent that a Sith Lord had penetrated and worked her way into their upper echelon, into the highest of their positions. It was a skill the Arch-Queen would covet learning, yet suspected, as was her history with others of their ilk, was something shared only with their own.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

And there it was, Taeli thought, as she observed the girl's reaction to the sudden reveal of her true colors. She could tell from how much the girl was keeping control of herself, to the smallest of movements of her lips, eyes... the ever so subtle shift in her chair, to the way her words were phrased in a neutral frame. [member="Ara Zambrano"] was surprised, and Taeli had to admit she always did enjoy that surprise, that shock. That reminded her that the Emperor would desire to see the expression on Omai Rhen's face when the betrayal came.

"An evolution of Sith Magic, a spell I created myself," she responded, giving a very nonchalant stretch. It certainly felt good to shed that disguise. Every time she did, it just felt so liberating. Ara's question revealed her interest, even if she had asked it in a neutral manner, trying to sound polite. The young woman in front of her craved power, it was in her blood after all. "Originally, there is a spell to create a false light aura, but it takes concentration to maintain. Any excitement, and the spell would slip and reveal the Sith's true nature. I decided it was time to... advance the spell to a more modern application."

Yes, she could see it now. There was a way to slowly, very slowly, break this young woman's chains to the First Order and the Knights of Ren and have her embrace her actual heritage.

"I can sense you have a question you're burning to ask," Taeli said, giving a small smile.

 

[Ara Zambrano]

”Impressive.

The repetition of the word emphasized by her sincerity in the compliment. The Master of Ren had little to no familiarity with Sith Magic herself, her education having been significantly different from that which Sith Acolytes found themselves privy to. Despite this disparity, the knowledge to adapt, strengthen, and maintain such an ability was no small feat, once again reminding the young Queen not to underestimate the woman sitting across from her.

There was a civility brewing between the two women, a truce and now a small thread of trust linking [member="Taeli Raaf"] and Ara Zambrano, but as with anything, there was a cost. A cost for information, knowledge, secrets…nothing in the universe was given for free, and this was no exception. What would be expected of the Master of Ren in return had yet to be revealed, but assuredly there would be something.

A soft chuckle and amused smile met Taeli’s own, her chin once again resting atop her folded hands. Crimson eyes traced the delicate curve of the tattoos running beneath one amber iris, memorizing the pattern, the depth, the intricacies that made them up. A momentary distraction, they gave the Master time to think, to consider whether the request a worthwhile one to make.

”How does one maintain the spell, if you do not mind such an inquiry? As you said yourself, the original spell requires concentration, not an easy feat surrounded by enemies as you have found yourself.”

A curious tilt of the head accompanied the question, a minor deflection from her true question, but still one she wished the answer to.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli gave a smile that would seem at odds with the amber eyes and dark side aura radiating off of her. Internally, that smile was much more smug than anything else, but outwardly, it was the same kindly smile she had worn most of their meeting thus far. The girl was intrigued, that much was certain to her. As she admitted previously, she wanted power. For someone like them, power was everything, and one of the best ways to increase one's power was to know more. She had tried to instill that in many of the students she had taught, but only a few had taken the lesson to heart.

But this still didn't feel like the question [member="Ara Zambrano"] actually wanted to ask. Regardless, Taeli was not one to neglect the education of someone asking for clarity.

"These," she replied, gesturing at the Sith tattoos around her eyes, "are called Marks of Darkness. Originally, they were used by the ruler of the One Sith to mark those that had ascended in rank. The ink was infused with the dark side and then applied, but I realized they could serve another purpose. They could serve as an anchor point, a reservoir so to speak, of dark power that could be harnessed. In this case, I crafted a spell of concealment and anchored it within the Marks of Darkness. Once that was done, I could speak a simple phrase in the Sith language and release and conceal my true abilities at will. No longer did my focus and concentration need to be devoted to concealment, and instead could be used in other endeavors."

She took a sip of tea, regarding the young woman across from her.

"Your next question, my dear?"

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Tattoos, marks, that were infused with the Dark Side of the Force and permanently etched into one’s skin? Interest and the slightest bit of greed shone in her irises as she considered such applications. The Arch-Queen had seen reference of such rituals in the small amount of research she’d recently done into Sith Runes, but had dismissed them as a mostly archaic practice. Her head tilted slightly as she considered, tracing the design once again with her eyes, searching for repetition, patterns in the otherwise foreign markings.

There was a want gnawing inside her, a desire to test this theory, to feel exactly what such a mark could offer one. Yet, there was hesitation. Power was always tempting, in any form. This was a Sith ability, a permanent etching on one’s person, and if there was one failing Ara had always held close to herself, it was her vanity. Perhaps not as flashy as the glowing swirls encircling her companion’s amber eyes, but something far more subtle, less visible, less jarring, would be sufficient.

”I assume you have considered, if not tested, other spells anchored by similar methods.”

One eyebrow arched in question for the simple statement. Offered as a question, she suspected the answer already, someone who was intelligent enough to craft such a technique in and of itself would inevitably seek to expand such uses, yet confirmation was always appreciated.

The simple offer of an explanation was a taunt, a mere taste of power offered on a silver platter, too good to pass up. They both knew it. It was bait, but for what?

They had danced around the subject long enough, the game enjoyable and yet, there always came a point at which the continuation would imply stupidity on the part of one’s partner in such an exchange. No, a begrudging respect had been born between the two, and with that came the honor of directness.

”And if, my Lady, I requested you teach me such an ability, would you?”

Her eyes locked onto the Sith Lord’s all easy-going humor fleeing their depths, replaced with determination and a keen shrewdness.

”And should you say yes, at what cost?”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

And finally, it was out in the open. That naked want for power, for knowledge. The truth was indeed not far from her questions. Taeli had experimented with other spells and powers that could be anchored in such a way, with the results being some of her more trusted servants. Oh yes, she could tell there was some vanity there about her appearance. Her question about the marks was evident enough that she was worried about marring that face of hers, but Taeli didn't try and fight the smile that formed as she asked if this was something Taeli was willing to teach her and what the cost might be.

"I would say... it could be one of many things I might be willing to share," she replied, reclining back in her chair.

With a wave of her hand, the Marks vanished, concealed once again by illusion. Her dark power lingered though as she had not yet reactivated the spell.

"I like to consider myself an excellent judge of talent," she continued, "and I'm always looking for new prospects, students you might say. Our encounters during the course of this war made an impression on me. You're powerful, ambitious, and have a distinct craving for power. You have a keen mind and are able to keep your emotions in control while you harness them for power. But... your education is incomplete. No disrespect to the Knights of Ren, but they don't really know how to properly harness the dark side."

She leaned in, her smile turning sly.

"What I'm offering does not require you to turn on your compatriots or even pass me information. I am merely offering myself as a teacher, someone who can expand your knowledge of the dark side and show you pathways to abilities you may never have considered even existed."

What went unsaid was that, while she wouldn't require [member="Ara Zambrano"] to turn on the Ren or pass information on the First Order to her, she had plans to ever so subtly steer the girl away from that path and one much more deserving of her bloodline.

 

[Ara Zambrano]

A soft curl of a smile and nod of the head accepted the explicit compliment, dark gaze calculating and considering, yet still burning with desire. The miniscule slight, a minor insult to the ways of the Ren, was passed unchallenged, regardless of the intent. There was a loyalty to the Ren that sprung from a gratitude, an offer for power, prestige, and skill they had followed through on, something she highly doubted the Sith would have matched, should they have dug her from the Coruscanti underground before the First Order’s operatives.

Whether she agreed with the harsh, vicious realities of the relationship between a Sith Master and Acolyte or not, the young Arch-Queen could not deny that they offered knowledge beyond that of her own Order. Sith secrets coveted by even those in the upper echelon of the Knights of Ren and the Preatorians, trailing from the desires of the Supreme Leader himself.

”Had you asked, the answer would have been simply no, Lady Raaf.”

A matching sly smile met Taeli’s, a glint of teasing humor buried behind the statement, yet a simple statement of devotion and a line drawn for both to see. Had [member="Taeli Raaf"] sought insight into the inner workings of the Ren or the Order itself, the conversation may have twisted in a drastically different direction. As it were, Ara hesitated, desire warring with caution and calculation. The offer was far too good to be true, knowledge and power presented with nothing asked in return, another play in the game, another move to further along the check mate both women sought to trap the other in.

”I cannot help but wonder what you gain in return for this arrangement.”

One eyebrow arched silkily, a question and slight challenge to the seemingly altruistic offer easily readable on her features even as the half-Epicanthix relaxed back against her own chair, the last threads of hesitation preventing her from agreeing immediately.

A thread of nostalgia, a hint of grief and longing, swirled in her gut, thoughts drifting to the person known as Talon Ren, her Master and confidant from before. How long had it been since he had disappeared? Rarely did her thoughts drift to the person who had begun molding her in the way of a warrior, the blade she often carried a material reminder of his guidance and continuing impact on her life, her signature form of Makashi adopted from his urging, even her propensity to use Force Sense to augment her poor eyesight had been influenced by his teaching.

”Agreed.”

The single word, strong in its conviction broke the silence, an agreement they both knew would come with time.

”With one caveat of my own. You will no longer raise your blade against me or mine, and I will ensure the same is offered to you so long as our agreement stands.” One hand raised slightly to stave off any disagreement poised to the statement, continuing with a lightly teasing tone. ”I do not expect you to avoid conflict with the First Order, after all, your ruse as Grand Marshal depends on your ability to lead your people, but I seek your agreement to cease all direct involvement in the conflict personally.”

An assessing gaze once again levelled at the Sith Lord, waiting for an answer. The Arch-Queen almost expected the requirement to be out rightly refused, yet the chance to remove a powerful player from the game was too good an opportunity to pass up.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli's expression did not change as [member="Ara Zambrano"] considered her proposal, or when she agreed, or even when the young woman countered with her own stipulation. The thing that Ara might not know was one had to be very sure of their phrasing when making a counter-proposal to a Sith. Words were incredibly important, and if the wrong ones were chosen, a clever Sith could easily slip through a loophole, or several, and render your stipulation useless while the actual bargain remained.

Well, she was new to the game, so Taeli supposed she could excuse her for that. Given the nature of the First Order and Knights of Ren as she so far knew of it, the sort of games that could keep a Sith on their toes were not practiced. As far as she could tell, Sieger Ren was not a man to condone various political maneuverings and power plays among his servants. No, it was obedience he required, and if they obeyed, they were rewarded in some way. Not so with the Sith. Their Emperor might grant a boon for services rendered in the name of the Sith Empire, but a Sith was expected to claw and scrape and defeat their rivals to gain greater power. It would need to be a lesson for Ara in the future. The power she held was only hers because of other schemes and wants. If it was deemed appropriate, it could just as easily be taken away.

But to the point at hand, Ara really should not have mentioned blade or me and mine because, for Taeli, that did not bind any actions of hers.

"What I gain from this arrangement is a student," she replied. Any other possible reasons remained unsaid, but anyone with a healthy level of paranoia could suspect the Sith Lady was keeping other reasons to herself. "You have my agreement that I will not raise a blade in offense against you or yours for the duration of the current conflict."

An extremely easy agreement for her. After all, why would she want to fight Ara or the Zambrano family? That would be counter-productive.

 

[Ara Zambrano]

One eyebrow arched silkily in an outright expression of surprise even as a satisfied smile curled up the corners of her lips.

Words had impact, yes, phrasing as important as the spirit of the bargain struck, perhaps even more so. The young Zambrano had little experience striking agreements of this nature, but neither was she completely oblivious to the tentative balance necessary for such endeavors. While [member="Taeli Raaf"] hunted for her own loopholes to exploit, the agreement offered Ara her own security, an agreement that would persevere even beyond her ties to the First Order and the Knights of Ren.

”Truly a pleasure.”

For a moment the Arch-Queen settled back in her chair again, her posture relaxed and at ease, the alliance between the two women finalized with a simple agreement from both. A hush hung over the pair as Ara rose, her hand brushing across the surface of the table lightly in an unconscious motion.

”Discretion will be of the utmost import on my part, as I assume you are well aware. I cannot guarantee that I am able to travel as often as you may wish.”

Certainly the Ren could not make her presence known in Galactic Alliance territory, although her home world would offer sufficient cover should they require it.

”I will insure you have safe passage to and from Panatha as you require, but it is safe to assume the Grand Marshall of the New Jedi Order would not be welcome regardless of any decree I might make. I imagine you have many more guises than the one you used on Varonat, you may want to use one of those, Master Raaf.”

One eyebrow raised, a silent question in her eyes. The Arch-Queen would ensure that the Sith Lord had access to the palace should she require it, but the name Taeli Raaf was not one that would pass unnoticed to the upper echelon of the Order. If she wished to be known by something different than her Jedi moniker, now would be the time to divulge such information.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Oh neither of those is a worry for me," she responded. "I would never presume to force you onto a schedule for learning from me, not while you have so many duties to attend to. No, whenever you desire to have a lesson, you can set the time and place, my dear. If I do so, it will always be at a neutral location outside of the factions we serve in the galaxy."

It wasn't too hard for her to travel wherever she wished. Between running her company, and all of those 'business' trips she undertook, it was quite easy to slip away for days at a time. She was always a comm call away if she was needed in Alliance space, and her comms always were relayed through the Erilnar office so everyone would assume she was at her headquarters. Still, it would be nice to have easy access to Panatha as that would mean she need not worry about making too many disguises or aliases.

"The Lady of Secrets will do," she continued, answering the unasked question. "My title within the Sith Empire. I would share my actual Sith name, but if that appeared anywhere... well the Alliance might realize I was still active."

No, it was not time for her to use Arcanix again. Not yet.

"Sliuz ra," she muttered. Like being sucked down a vortex, her dark side presence was drawn back into the glowing red tattoos around her eyes. In a moment, the tattoos faded to black and then vanished, leaving a smiling woman that felt once more like a pure Jedi Master sitting at the table. "It was truly a pleasure to actually have this conversation with you, [member="Ara Zambrano"]. Whenever you are ready for your first lesson, do let me know."