Private Red Tongue, Black Heart

[Lysander von Ascania]

Astra Sadow | Taeli Raaf
​

One thing she had noticed, rather curiously, was that the substantial food supply in the palace had taken an extreme hit in the luxury department. Tea and chocolate were suspiciously running low, but there was no way two extra people could reasonably exhaust the enormous stores she received from the Commonwealth.

Steam curled past Lysander's face, his wry smile veiled behind the travel cup's rim. The pricey tea tasted far superior to most blends in memory. Then again, everything seemed divine after leaving a holding cell. Being out was.. nice, in a way that wouldn't be admitted aloud.

For someone always on the move, after weeks of arrest, prosecution, then extracted through a wall, a few relaxed days was surprisingly nice too. A fair amount of HoloNet nonsense, eating whatever tempted him, training in the courtyard, and occasionally wandering the palace halls. Lysander even managed to whip up his 'notorious' nuna egg scramble for both Srina and Astra one morning. Who knew when such a moment like that would surface again?

The smile slowly broadened. "So, Ms. Sadow. Have you ever been to the Sadow District before?"

They'd chosen to travel by foot. Time could be spared. To his eyes, Jutrand wasn't the most attractive planet.. just another ecumenopolis in the grand accounting of the galaxy. But he was also discovering that his taste for small wonders shifted lately. Once before, boots had traversed these streets. It always struck him as a university district, one might say. Pretty waters. Cafes. Sorcery laboratories. Madrona A’Mia would be jealous if knowledge reached her about who was being visited today. Definitely the sort of detail to rub in her face whenever spirits were higher. Exactly the sort of thing a little sprout ought to do, right?

Glancing down revealed a premium chocolate bar, Commonwealth wrapping and all. Enough was already eaten; that wasn't to say his stomach was pleasantly full, though. He snapped off a piece and offered it to his companion. "Help me erase the evidence, Astra." Perhaps somewhere in that was an echo of their courtroom alliance. "We can always stick to our seperate stories, if asked." Not that the indulgence was a big deal, really. The Empress offered resources, and he found comfort in that green light.

Ahead, the Obscural Reliquary began to draw near, towers piercing Jutrand's skyline. Unlike the ugliness of most Sith architecture, these possessed an unexpected elegance. Long before Jakku, he'd nurtured ambitions that stretched well beyond the Lyrandar complex. There were many projects worth pursuing that did not involve another battlefield. Given a choice, creation was preferable. Even as a Sith..

"I could probably spend an unreasonable amount of time studying somewhere like this." Then again, there probably wasn't another place in the galaxy that came close.

Along the way, realization dawned that he was arriving empty handed. Lysander once offered holocrons during Darth Arcanix's visit to Coruscant. Hopefully she wouldn't hold the lack of tribute against him today.

Reaching for his datapad, a thumb tapped out a quick message to Taeli to signal arrival.

 

[Astra Sadow]

"Don't spend too much time worrying about the story, Mister von Ascania. I only needed enough for plausible deniability." Astra Sadow placed the chocolate strap on her tongue and pulled it between her lips. A soft hum followed from the luxurious taste as it melted in her mouth. "Everyone knows I'm associated with criminals in The Core, but they can never prove I had anything to do with any of their activities." Just because people knew you were a monster didn't mean they could prove it -- in the court of public opinion, or that of a judicial system.

Destroying Aurelian's bug before they'd vanished had been meant to sever the story on Astra's beat. Give them sound bytes to cast a shadow of doubt as to her role in those affairs on Naboo. After that... well, an enterprising woman like her could always find a way to convince a practical and ruthless woman like Srina to let her go.

"Even if the crime is indulging in creature comforts of home." Lysander had originally meant their purloining of chocolate, after all, rather than those affairs in the High Republic.

Her golden eyes looked ahead for a moment before they drew back to the man. Astra kept her red glareshades secured to a pocket of her pitch black button-up shirt. "Enjoying yourself? A woman asked if she'd visited her namesake. In fact, I have," Astra replied honestly. "Though it has been some time since I last set foot here. I see much has changed." So it was with the passage of time. So many memories. It took genuine effort to actively recall those that mattered most so they weren't lost. Memory palaces to turn a phrase.

"Have you? If so, what sort of spire of power or peddler of influence draws your thoughts most? Where would you point a Sadow in the Sadow District?"

To answer, Lysander's eyes turned up toward the Obscurial Reliquary ahead and quietly reflected on what he might do given the opportunity. "Time. Mortal's enemy." Or had she said 'Mortal enemy' as though to all things? "There are techniques to extend your time. Some more effective than others. Some more... sufferable than others. But more time doesn't solve the greatest challenge -- knowing how to spend it wisely." A Sangnir Lord didn't just go around promising immortality to everyone they could sink their fangs into. There certainly was an interview. Skill requirements. Mental fortitude measurements. A proper assessment itself took time of which the hiring partner had plenty.

"Think we'll have the time to spend here? I certainly wouldn't mind a look around."

Lysander von Ascania | Taeli Raaf​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Jutrand, Sadow District, Obscurial Reliquary
Lysander von Ascania Astra Sadow
​

When she had first established the Sadow District, she had envisioned it as a center for research, development, and experimentation. A place for Sith and non-Sith alike to aspire to live and work in, a place to represent a more elegant style than the somber gothic cityscape that had come to dominate Jutrand once the Sith claimed it. She felt she had succeeded in that endeavor, but there was always room for improvement, and with the new initiatives that were developing within the Sith Order, the district was likely to become much busier.

"My Lady, Lysander Ascania and Astra Sadow have sent a message. They have arrived in the district and are requesting a meeting," her assistant said. Taeli was observing the hologram of the newest iteration of the frigate under design between Aurora, ATC, and the Sith. The new weapon systems were fairly settled, but other systems were still being negotiated or licensed. Still, it was coming together.

"Send a reply that I'm ready to receive them when they reach the tower," she replied, closing out the schematics. "And send these along to Danger and her team to see what they think."

"Of course, Mother," and her assistant, and daughter departed from her office. Taeli turned her attention to having the seating area arranged for her guests, along with refreshments, at the large window that overlooked the artificial lake and waterfalls that she had mandated be constructed when the district became hers.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Astra Sadow Taeli Raaf​

Another sip disappeared past the rim of his cup. Lysander looked down at it in his hands for a moment before raising his eyes again. "Perhaps I'm biased just now, but I believe knowing how to spend it wisely begins with ensuring the choice is actually yours."

Lately, the thought had circled him often.. how easily decades could slip from one's grasp without ever truly being lived.

"Suppose we stopped treating time like something to hoard and started asking what actually makes it worth spending. Your perspective against mine. Compare notes." Lysander's smile returned. "Your sample size is larger than mine. By a few years, anyway. Does that sound naive?"

Attention drifted back toward the Reliquary, accompanied by a considering hum. Shoulders dropping, breath evening out, it was a choice to be present. "Rare, isn't it? No summons, no crisis pulling us elsewhere. Feels almost wasteful not to indulge that. A few hours given to curiosity seems like a worthy trade, and somehow I doubt Darth Arcanix would begrudge us the indulgence."

A chime announced Taeli's reply. Glancing down at the datapad, Lysander read the message before tucking the device away. "Looks like we're expected." Fingers brushed the empty chocolate wrapper into a pocket as the tower drew nearer. His palm smoothed along the lapel of his coat. More habit than vanity. The last of the tea was finished by the time the entrance came into view.

"Lady Raaf, thank you for your hospitality." Lysander inclined his head gracefully before looking to Astra beside him. "We appreciate you receiving us on such short notice. I hope we haven't caught you at an inconvenient time."

One hand opened slightly toward the woman beside him. "I suspected the opportunity would interest both of us, though I'll let Ms. Sadow speak for herself. Mostly, I thought it might be a good chance to reconnect. It's been a while since we've had the opportunity. Let's hope the HoloNet left a few surprises unspoiled."

 

[Astra Sadow]

Astra smiled over at Lysander as he spoke of choice. They'd had a similar conversation once concerning the freedom to choose. "Of course," she replied.

At first her brows rose, then fell. The smile remained though softened with patient suffering. Her sample size was larger by a few years? Walking a dangerous line commenting on a Lady's sample size (age). More of an amusement than genuine ire, of course. It was larger by more than a few. "My comm channel is always open for you, Lysander."

A hand reached up to lay atop Lysander's shoulder as Astra leaned forward to smile back at him. "Choose to indulge in what you want, Lysander, from time to time. The galaxy will gladly wring every drop of life out of you then toss your carcass on the pyre of 'progress' without recognizing your passage. There's too much to see in life to be stuck toiling every hour away and merely pining for what might have been." It was, after all, why she was a humble Corpo these days. Plenty to do and time commitments to keep, but also so much more room to decide where she spent her focus.

When the pad chimed, their eyes were drawn to the source. Astra swept a hand out toward the tower with a slight bow, gesturing Lysander to take the lead.

"I'm elated by the opportunity to visit Jutrand, the Sadow District, and -- most importantly -- yourself, Miss Raaf. I've always enjoy a bit of alchemical study and manipulation of the reality around us. There are limitless ways we can reshape the world around us, don't you agree?"

Lysander von Ascania | Taeli Raaf​