Seeking an audience

[Daxton Bane]

In the days following the Royal Wedding a strange letter addressed to Lady Kay would arrive at her place of residency.

The letter was written on rather ordinary paper and was handwritten in bold strokes. If a chemical analysis o it was conducted, it would reveal that the paper and ink were of high quality and possessed no strange chemical markers.

[member="Lady Kay"],

I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. I am writing this letter with prayer that you might be able to help me with a small matter.

As I am sure you are aware I am Sith, I have made my beliefs clear to any who may ask. But as I am sure you are aware that I have personally respected the laws and beliefs of the people of Commenor, where I sometimes reside.

In my studies of the Force, I have encountered some difficulty, which I believe is directly attributed to how I understand the Force from a Sith perspective. To this end, I am hoping to obtain information and insights which are being denied to me for purposes of furthering my knowledge. Ideally, I want to try and obtain these information in the spirit of an exchange of perspective.

As my record on your world will attest, I seek nothing more than the peaceful pursuit of knowledge. However, when I approached the Jedi on your world, I was rebuffed immediately and bluntly, which leads me to suspect it was based on reputation rather than any other reason.

While I am hurt that these champions of truth are so quick to dismiss my quiry out of spite, I still seek to find other avenues to find the information I seek.

To this end, I am writing this letter to you, in the hopes that you might be able to recommend who I can speak with regarding a possible collaboration and meeting of the minds. All I ask is perhaps a kind recommendation and introduction so I could explain what I intend in a forum where I am not prejudged outright based on alledged wrongdoings or perceived notions of who or what I am.

Always your humble friend,

Daxton Bane.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay's assistant Ophelia opened the letter first, though she only peeked at the details contained in it. Having a handwritten letter wasn't a usual thing. Very old fashioned. At least it didn't seem to be an admirer of hers, thankfully. The wedding should put an end to all of that.

Moments later she was in Kay's office, handing her the opened letter. "From [member="Daxton Bane"] , my Lady. It seems that he is reaching out."

"Is it to do with the hospital?"

"No my Lady. Something else. I'll leave you to it."

Kay nodded. "Thanks Ophelia." Her assistant left just as Kay began reading the letter. At least his penmanship was easy to read. She looked over it carefully, frowning slightly at the very idea of people here not being very forthcoming.

When she was finished, she picked up her datapad and whipped up a quick message, leaving no mention of the contents of his letter in case he didn't want it known, and sending the message off when she was finished.

~Daxton Bane,

Please come and meet me at the Palace at your earliest convenience.

Lady Kay
Queen of Commenor
Chancellor of Commenor Systems Alliance~

 

[Daxton Bane]

Arriving at the palace in a dignified dark purple robe, he gave off the impression of a wealthy and prosperous merchant, rather than a deadly duelist and one of the dark lords of the Sith. He wore no obvious weapons save the lightsabers he wore on his hip, which he graciously surrendered to palace guard upon their request. Pushing back his cowl, he admired his surroundings as he patiently waited for his turn to be granted an audience with [member="Lady Kay"].

He had brought with his a small package which contained rare teas which the Red Ravens trafficed in, was handed over to a steward for analysis and vetting. They would find nothing save very expensive tea but he did appraciate and in fact applauded such precautions. One could never tell these days were trouble might spring out from.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Being a Sith Lord, [member="Daxton Bane"] had more weapons than just his lightsabers, but the guards were grateful at least with him handing them over when asked. When the tea passed inspection it was returned to him.

He only had about fifteen minutes to wait before he was led to Kay's office. She was just finishing off her paperwork when her assistant Ophelia knocked on her door three times and then opened it. "Daxton Bane is here, my Lady."

"Great. Send him in."

Ophelia gave a small nod and disappeared to allow Daxton to pass through. Kay got to her feet and stretched in those few seconds before walking around her desk to meet her guest.

When he stepped in, she bowed her head in greeting. "I got your letter. I thought it better for us to speak in person. I'm sorry that some of the Jedi have treated you unfairly. I would hope that everyone respects eachother here, despite their allignment or position in society, but not everyone practices tolerance."

 

[Daxton Bane]

Bowing in respect to both her station and a sign of his acknowledgement that he was here as a guest. Addressing [member="Lady Kay"] with the proper tone of respect he replied, "Thank you for your kimd words my Lady. I had hoped to get a more favorable response from the Jedi considering that they preach tolerance and understanding, but I can appreciate also how hard it is to let centuries of misunderstanding and the bad reputation of my fallen breathren have clouded their understanding of the Sith. I am hoping to bridge the gap by studying some of their ways, and while I have had some instruction they have been woefully few and far in between."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded as she listened to [member="Daxton Bane"] describe more about what had happened, or rather more of what he was going through.

"Have you visited our Temple? It's a neutral place of learning. It caters to learning the Force as a whole, as opposed to just one side of it. My husband created it. Although he's busy elsewhere at the moment. You are welcome there. I'm sure that there would be many avenues to gain knowledge within."

 

[Daxton Bane]

Clearing his throat, Daxton continued, "Do you mean the Jedi Temple on Yutan, [member="Lady Kay"]? If yes, then I have expressed interest of doing so, using diplomatic back channels so as not to cause undue concern and distress. I wanted to get permission prior to my visit, least someone suspect I was up to something untoward and cut down from a misunderstanding. Basically I wanted to concern for piece of mind and my selfish desire to remain whole and intact."

"As I mentioned I did seek unofficial permission but was informed my request was denied at the highest level, much to my disappointment. I was hoping you would speak with them on my behalf and perhaps convince them to change their minds. I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to study and engage in discourse those of a philosophy which differs from my own."

 

[Kay-Larr]

"The Praxeum is what I'm referring too. It's here just outside of Chasin City and caters to all sides. You'll find resources for Jedi lore and others that shouldn't turn you away. If they do, I'll take care of it. You may even find other Sith there already. My Minister of Justice trains there as well, and he's no Jedi."

She hoped that [member="Daxton Bane"] hadn't been turned away from there yet. But as she didn't keep on top of everything going on everywhere on Commenor, it was hard to say. Besides, her own Force Sensitivity was still a secret, so she didn't have much business to be there anyways. Though she has visited from time to time, always under the guise of wanting to learn more about her husband's chosen path in life.

 

[Daxton Bane]

"Excellent suggestion, [member="Lady Kay"]. Might I trouble you for a possible introduction to who I can speak to regarding such a visit? I fear the last time I went somewhere unannounced there was a slight misunderstanding as to my intentions which lead to a totally unncessary confrontaction." While that could be one interpretation of what had happened, he was certain there would be those who disagreed. Fortunately majority of them where nowhere to be found in the room he was in.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"I will see if one is available. One moment."

Kay turned on her datapad and sent [member="Darlyn Excron"] a message:

~Darlyn,

I have a Sith here by the name of [member="Daxton Bane"] . You might remember him from the wedding. He also has provided us with a hospital in the past. Anyways, he is curious about our Praxeum and some of the Jedi lore there. I know that it isn't exactly your field, but you have had training there. Could you show him it, please? Veiere is away from home for a while, so I can't ask him.

Thanks.
Kay~

She sent the message off and then set her datapad aside while she looked to Daxton. "Hopefully we hear back from him soon. And if we don't, well, then I'll show you the Praxeum myself."

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Fortune seemed to favor [member="Daxton Bane"] that day, as Darlyn finished his paperwork early enough to warrant a visit to the Praxeum. The darksider chuckled as he read the message, tapping his desk as he considered what the message was. A sith guest? Curious about the Jedi? Well, no small part of him felt an odd comfort at being slightly less isolated in terms of force alignment, though he suspected the guest was more balanced than he. So with that, he sent an affirmative in return, and made his way to the office of [member="Lady Kay"].

His presence would easily be felt before he opened the door. Not a day went by his darkness didn't grow, in no small part to the relic attached at his hip like a third leg. "I presume this to be Mr. Bane? I must congratulate you on your timing. A minute later and I would be gone for the Praxeum already, and a minute earlier I would still be dealing with paperwork. Quite impressively timed." He chuckled and folded his arms, looking the man over. "A Sith interested in Jedi, for more than lambs to slaughter. I'm quite eager to see your earnestness in person. Full warning, though we will be far from Chasin, we are still on Commenor. Break a law and I will shed no tears for whatever fate comes."

He spoke it with the dullness attributed to something routine. Though he of course held no doubt that the man would behave, he felt transparency was important in life. Thus, there would be absolutely no misunderstandings if a line was crossed.

 

[Daxton Bane]

Rising to his feet, Daxton made a polite bow as a gracious guest might made. "Please Daxton or Bane, either would suffice. The mindset of the Jedi is but one of many things I study as a servant to the Force. I need not the political dogma or religious platitudes which sorely divide Force users into camps, the universe as we know it is already a product of that division. I seek to gain understanding on how, for better lack of a description, the other half thinks. I know that there will be those who judge me for my indescretions during my wild youth, that I have learned to accept, although everyday is a chance to show that youth does not define me as a user of the Force and perhaps one day reach an understanding. Well that is my hope anyway."

Bowing to [member="Lady Kay"] he said, "Thank you for the audience, your Grace, amd the introduction, if we can ever be of service, please feel free to ask." Pausing in case she replied or made any requests before joining his new companion.

"Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name. I admit you have me at a disadvantage there. As for keeping the laws, have no fear, the Red Ravens and I have kept to laws of this world and will continue to do so as we cherish our relationship with the people." He reassured his companion as he retrieved his weapons when they exited the palace.

If any attention was paid to them, one could note that not only where the three lightsabers he retrieved very ornate in design and made from precious materials, a sharp eye would spot that they were designed to inflict pain on the wielder as well. A very strange and rare thing to see on such types of weapons.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Well they certainly didn't have long to wait. By good fortune, [member="Darlyn Excron"] had arrived not long after she had sent the message. It let her know if he liked to just push her messages aside, or if he gave them top priority. In this case it was the latter.

Kay smiled and bowed her head to him as he walked in. It was nice to see that he was very keen at the idea of helping [member="Daxton Bane"] out. As her guest bowed to her and thanked her, she smiled. "It's the least that I could do for all your help thus far. Your hospital is well admired and respected."

As they turned to leave out of her office she watched them, hoping that they stayed out of trouble. When they were out of sight, she went back to work. There was always work to be done.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

"Darlyn Excron, Minister of Justice. And unfortunately, it seems, one of the more prominent members of the Praxeum's darkside users." He shrugged a bit and motioned [member="Daxton Bane"] to follow. In the better lighting from outside, it was easier to see Darlyn's choice of attire. Comfortable black robes, complete with a flowing cloak behind him, a DL-18 strapped to his leg, and two lightsabers dangling at his hip. One radiating intense darkness of its own, the other seemingly built of spare parts. He certainly was a tad abnormal in his choice of weaponry. "We'll be taking a small transport, normally I would take my personal starfighter but there's not exactly much room. It shouldn't take long."

Of course it would be ready for them by the time they arrived, something small enough it wouldn't be missed while they made their way there. Darlyn moved into the small passenger area, lacking windows out, having had another member of the praxeum arrive to ferry them over. "Not many outside the Praxeum are able to locate the place of learning out of the sky. Don't worry too much, it should be a short enough ride, nothing overlly long. Still, we'll have a while, perhaps you could enlighten me a bit more about yourself. Outside of your name I don't exactly have much to go on."

 

[Daxton Bane]

If Daxton was curious he kept his cards close to his chest. "But of course, I would be happy to fill any gaps. Where do you want me to start? To be honest, I don't want bore you with dull bits. This might sound unusual but I have gotten used to my reputation preceeding me most of the time, I am not used to sharing my story with others."

 

[Daxton Bane]

With the lack of potential avenue to focus on, Bane stuck to the generalities, starting his apprenticeship to the first Sith Emperor to the invasion of Mandalore to joining the Red Ravens. While he spoke of his teachers and apprentices in passing, it was a viturally a whos who of the best Force Duelists in the galaxy in the recent decades. Further, he exhibit no signs of age or delibitation common in advance Dark Force practitioners, nor did he speak about the Heart of Darkness, otherwise everything he discussed has been chronicled somewhere in the vast archives of the universe.

Normally, when one encountered a dark force user of this level, they exuded an aura of menace and foreboding, some even going so far as to cultivate it and use it as an advantage in battle. Here it was noticable absent, as if there was a void somehow that could not be explained..

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Darlyn hummed as they made their way, true to his word the ride was quite noticeably short. Even so, Daxton was able to give quite a resume. Had it been an interview, he'd have probably done something ridiculous to test him by now and quite possibly have hired him on the spot. But, it wan't, and perhaps that was all good. As the ship made its decent, Darlyn gave him a small nod and stretched a bit, motioning for him to follow to the loading ramp. "Quite a resume, and all rather important I assure you. I'll be fair and give my own brief for you. I was a kid, I was a sith out of necessity, I left for bounty hunting, and now I work here. Nothing as fantastic as yours but it works, wouldn't you agree?" He chuckled to himself as the ramp opened up for them.

"Welcome to the Praxeum, home of of Commenor's order. Light, Dark, everything in between, all welcome here. Though admittedly they tend to treat the darkside as something that needs extremely careful study, I can't really blame them. Last thing we need is someone fancying themselves the dark lord of Commenor, I'd have to put them down. And then I'd be even less trusted than some people seem to care for." Was that a bit of resentment in his tone? Perhaps, he was the only member of the praxeum he knew of that studied the dark side without having been given permission.

[member="Daxton Bane"]

 

[Daxton Bane]

"Should anyone be foolish enough to try, I would be more than happy to lend my assistance in correcting that abberant thought. We owe Lady Kay a good deal and we do not wish for there to be any change in the status quo. As for myself, I have found the desire to impose my will on others simply not to my tastes. I am an excellent negotiator but I lack the desire or will to be the head honco. Power tends to be such a fleeting thing. Might I ask, is martial training allowed on the temple grounds? I ask because some of my techniques requires practice so a sparring session now and then would be a good way to keep limber."

 

[Darlyn Excron]

"And deny me the chance to beat someone down with superior swordsmanship? It's such a rare treat these days I'd be disappointed... of course if the opportunity rises I won't turn you down. As for martial training... there are training halls, dojos, for swordsmanship, are in the training wing of the building. I've had sparring sessions on praxeum grounds outside as well, which can be thoroughly enjoyable for the natural difficulties of the real world slopes." Darlyn began to head deeper into the building, motioning [member="Daxton Bane"] to follow him. The stop he intended, of course, was the archives. He had wanted to find something on Jedi lore, after all.

"The Archives. Personally I spend very little time here, my concern being the more pragmatic and practical uses for what I know rather than history or the arts. Now down that way and taking a left is the dojo i spend more of my time in. I'll probably be down there whilst you're learning whatever it is you can from the archives... speaking of which..." He moved past the doorway and to one of the archive's caretakers. "This is Daxton Bane, a guest of ours. He came to learn what he can from our archives on Jedi lore and philosophies and what not. See to it that he's taken care of, I really don't want to hear of any missteps."

The archive's caretaker nodded and made a place ready for Daxton while Darlyn moved to the guest with a small smile. "Anything else I can help you with? I can't promise you'll learn what you're after but it should be more than what's at a sith temple I can assure you."

 

[Daxton Bane]

Daxton nodded respectfully towards the caretaker at the introduction, showing respect to those much lower in station that he, a far cry from the arrogance typical of those touched by the Dark Side. The archive was precisely what he was hoping to gain access to, a treasure trove of knowledge and possible untold secrets waiting to be discovered. His fingers flexed in anticipation of finding out if he could find the information he sought.

Turning to his guide, Daxton bowed politely to [member="Darlyn Excron"] and said, "I so do hope so. I have been to a few temples and crypts in my time and I do so look forward to expanding on what I have learned so far. Perhaps we can arrange for a friendly match sometime, a test of skills shall we say, if you are interested."

Unless there was anything else, The Sith would request for tomes and arcana regarding Jedi meditation techniques, especially those dealing with clearing the head of distractions and inner turmoil.