Private Slip

[Rinea]

"Maybe then you can 'know me', not just your idea of me."

Those words stung more than the others. For someone like Rinea, who believed she would always know people better than they know themselves. Did she not prove it? Now, she wasn't so sure. The Chiss relinquished her anger. She saw no point in further argument--not now. They both said their piece, and that would be that.

She cleared her throat. "Well... I'm not sure what else there is to talk about right now."

Rinea returned to her pacing, albeit slower. The original request lingered, as did Kaila's proposal, but what was it all worth? That is the question she struggled to answer.

"Please either occupy my attention or leave it at once," she muttered.

Darth Anathemous

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Robes
Tags: Rinea

Kaila closed her eyes and released a slow, shaky breath.

But she wouldn't cry in front of Rinea again, not today. So she stilled her quivering lip, grit her teeth.

"War is coming to the Caldera." she finally revealed, back still turned.

"Tsis'kaar intelligence reported a build up of Confederation forces on the border hours ago. I've been summoned to Ziost, to speak among the war council, plan our defense of the Sith holy worlds."

"These orders I cannot refuse."

She ran fingers over her golden scalp, knowing this could be the last they spoke if she didn't fight like hell to survive.

"I will consult my tomes, try to find us another way."

"I'll share my findings when I return."

"And... if I don't..." a hesitant glance over her shoulder.

Followed by her march to war.


"...goodbye, Rinea."

 

[Rinea]

"Confederation?" Rinea revealed her ignorance with a question. "They're a little band of remnants, aren't they?"

She hadn't focused any attention at all on that sector of space. No, her focus had purely been on the Sith Empire and the High Republic for some time now. Granted, the Black Sun was involved enough that she could not ignore their presence.

She wanted to laugh at the mention of 'Sith Holy Worlds,' the idea was too surreal, and fed into her many reasons to hate the Sith as an ideology.

However, Kaila's tone and follow-up words kept Rinea still. She listened. Took her seriously.

"Goodbye?" That--she did not want to take seriously. "Come on, Kaila. You're powerful when you're restrained. I can only imagine how unlikely you are to die against this 'confederation.' I doubt they could be any more of a threat than what you faced on Rothana." She spoke very matter-of-factly.

Rinea walked over to her uniform, reached into a pocket, and pulled out a cigarra. She looked at Kaila expectantly.

Darth Anathemous

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Robes
Tags: Rinea

Kaila paused in the doorway.

"They make Abretta look like a joke," she scoffed "And there's enough of them to move a majority of our forces in defence."

"Outnumbered or not, I don't plan on underestimating them, not after the civil war."

The sound of rustling pockets drew her attention, she knew what it meant without looking. And so she turned with a gentle sigh, already pulling her glove aside, exposing those inky fingers to cool air. She flexed them a few times, metal fingers so much stiffer than her old cartilage.

Flame danced gently above the palm of her ungloved hand, casting a warm glow as she approached. With a simple gesture it crept up her finger, allowing her to gently poke the Cigarra.

"I don't mean to alarm you, it's just a fact. One lucky bomber, a crashing starfighter or dropship."

"A am powerful, but not yet immortal, not like the Emperor or my former master."

"I make my peace with the odds before every battle."

Her tone was empty, resigned.

"And I fight like hell to return each time, for the people I love, but It's the only promise I can keep."

She fumbled in her robes for some cigarras of her own, using the last of her dying flame.

"We'll see."

 

[Rinea]

The Chiss leaned into the glow of Kaila's finger and pulled back to take a drag.

Half of Rinea wanted to say something along the lines of. 'I hope for a stalemate,' as it benefited her greatly that the Sith and the Confederation fought over worlds on the other side of the galaxy.

At the mention of this Civil War... No. Later. Let her talk. She had to remind herself. There was a struggle when one played the game. Lots of secrets and knowledge flew out of Kaila's mouth, but she couldn't seize a thread so soon. She had to wait until it was the perfect--

"A am powerful, but not yet immortal, not like the Emperor or my former master."

Ah.

She held her tongue for the moment. Showed concern, but did not speak. So the Emperor wasn't her master? Good to know.

"Goodbyes are such a gloomy pre-battle tradition. Haven't you considered something more lively?" She said with some cheek and a coy smirk.

Then, the Chiss pressed her questions. "So, a majority of your forces have moved so far? Do you imagine they'll be tied up there after the battle?"

She offered the Sith her cigarra. "Does your Emperor come to the defense as well?"

Darth Anathemous

 

[Darth Anathemous]

Wearing: Robes
Tags: Rinea

"Hmh."

"And here I thought you were angry with me." Kaila hummed.

She took a long, slow drag from her cigarra, letting the chiss ask her questions. The contents of which caused her eyes to narrow. It was bad enough for Rinea to belittle her faith at every turn, but these were probing questions and she had only one reason to ask.

"I know what you're doing." she glared disappointedly.

"Do not forget our agreement. Stay out of the Blackwall."

"Besides," another drag, smoke and gaze cast to the side.

"Just one of our legions could dismantle the fleet, to say nothing of planetary forces."

"I think people underestimate just how vast our empire is behind that wall. And how... paranoid, the Emperor's defenses."

Kaila sighed. She couldn't shake her own paranoid nature, that part of her which screamed 'this is a mistake'.

But she didn't want to leave angry. Not at her.

"Don't you think there are better things we could do with our farewell?" she managed a chuckle.

 

[Rinea]

"Do not forget our agreement. Stay out of the Blackwall."

"Oh, come on... Here I thought you were just about ready to let me in," She teased, but she knew better not to.

It seemed that for Rinea, it became a point to tease the Sith further. Maybe she was mad, but if so, she chose a sick way of showing it.

"Just one of our legions could dismantle the fleet, to say nothing of planetary forces."

"Oooh?" She coyly dragged the response. "Paranoid Emperor..." She muttered as if she 'accidentally' thought aloud.

She looked back at Kaila with a quirked brow and a smug grin. "Better than an interrogation?" She feigned a scoff. Offered a dismissive wave with one blue hand. "I suppose so..." She didn't finish the thought.

Rinea grabbed her uniform from the rack.

"Oh, nevermind." There was a coldness to her tone, but it wasn't the same vulnerability that Rinea usually showed when she was being distant.

"Go run off to your war, then. One less Dark Lord to stop me, hmm? We can catch up on what I've done when you return. Maybe you'll spill more secrets."

She walked off to a side room. "See yourself out?" Cold again, but off all the same.

Darth Anathemous