Faction The Darkness Is Revealing [TSE]

[Darth Zveris]

"Must we be so tribal. Look at what we've accomplished. By far, this is the most most powerful Empire estbalisehd over the eras. Through the right of conquest, we have drove our swords deep into the hearts of our enemies and yet here we are. Ready to kill each other once again. We never learn, do we?"

The words slipped out of Darth Xer's mouth as he stepped into the hall, in the midst of an argument between various Sith Lords. His deep voice added to the tension that was already present and his elegant choice of words helped ease it.

He silently watched as many Lords, Knights and Acolyte's filled the grand hall. Each one attempting to outdo the other. A front to the very purpose of the Rule of Order in his opinion. He, however kept his thoughts to himself and was careful to avoid tricks from his fellow Sith, mainting distance from those he didn't know.

At either side of him, were two soilders unlike those that served in the Legions. Each one of them were clad in red armor, the armor itself a testament to the fallen First Order. They were the most successfull of his project, his endless quest for a quick and easy victory over the Jedi whom had escaped purgatory so many times. Vitiate had failed. Sidous had failed. Carnifex would not fail.

With his head held high, and his temper under control, he approached the Dark Council. His eyes were bloodshot and his gloves his his hideous fingernails which had been badly damaged by years of wielding the Dark Side. "Triumvir Raaf, it's good to see you alive. I heard some rather shocking claims" he approached the Triumvir of power.

He didn't know her personally, nor did he expect her to know him. But a woman of her stature, it couldn't hurt to find out the truth of what had transpired during the second Battle of Mandolore

Taeli Raaf , @Darth Carnifex, and the rest of the Sith Lovelies

 

[Lord Venari]

Nonsensical insults and baseless callbacks to the ways of old, was this gathering nothing more than the training yards of academy? Ignorance had apparently flourished among the Sith'ariqo. The Rule of Order was not without its shortcomings, but ultimately the strong ruled over the weak, as it always had. The bastard son spoke of breaking chains as per the Sith code yet cowered away from any challenge to his father in fear of his "tools." If his own powers were so vast, and his confidence true, the Emperor's cohort should hardly be a deterrent. The Rule of Order may encourage cooperation with the Imperials, and discourage the outright slaughter of our brethren, but if one's faith in the old ways were true they need only kill the Emperor and tame the masses with their own doctrine.

Vaulkhar's claims found both support and opposition, one armored giant of a Sith ( Imperius ) challenged him directly and on the spot, as it should be. Quarrels handled outright and in the open, those stronger and with more conviction walking away to shape the galaxy in their image and better yet, avoiding all of the sabotage that cost Empires of old, something he would need to elucidate on in the face of Darth Voyance 's claims.

With yet another sigh Venari reluctantly lifted himself from his seat. He strode deeper into the chamber, passing the golden visage who tempted the Emperor's spawn and approached the detachment of Sith'aruqo and other naysayers. The sheer volume of all those jeering made it quite a task to get a word in, but he would have his word.

"As scintillating as you may believe you are, hiding behind the accomplishments of one as wise and powerful as Sidious, need I remind you his rule of twenty-four odd years was the culmination of a thousand years hiding in the shadows, accumulating power before taking the galaxy by way of political manipulation and mischief. Would you see us wait another millennia to take hold for another mere two decades?" he addressed Voyance,

"and let us not forget he maintained order by way of high standing Imperials. Have the likes of Grand Moff Tarkin and Grand Admiral Thrawn been lost to you? The Sith need rule above the rest, but don't let petty arrogance lead you to believe we could take the galaxy without the might of the Imperial military."

Should conflict break out here, the Sith may very well be the stronger for it, but it'd be those unified in the pursuit of ultimate freedom and power that stood above the rest, not the conservative few who clung to the weaknesses and mistakes of the past. Their self proclaimed perfection was all too flawed, unable to survive the Sith's truest enemy, the Jedi, "furthermore you claim you see no Sith here. I'd challenge that all those you view as Sith died at the hands of their enemies long ago. How many Empires have risen only to fall at their own hands shortly after. The Great Galactic Wars fit your vision best. Sith en masse gripped the galaxy's throat in fist only to commit cho mai upon themselves with the other."

Venari was about to continue when the lord of gluttony, Darth Voracitos , spoke of the earlier antics of a Kaggath into a potential reality. Venari's hand balled into a fist, the Kaggath was one of those things he felt best left buried, but in these trying times perhaps it would be the most effective means at cutting away fat the Empire had so clearly cultivated.

When Ellie Mors , one of his own kind spoke, an old spark of pride in his own species reemerged, but he did best to cast it aside and give attention to the contents of the individual. She did not disappoint. A grin crossed Venari's face, this one understands the true potential of our creed, he thought to himself. When Taeli Raaf - the triumvir of power, Darth Arcanix - spoke Venari felt some semblance of reason returning to the chamber. As much a spectacle these traditionalists attempted to stir, the pillars of the Rule of Order would stand firm.

More and more among the Sith began to chime in, few of the old guard held their ground while impatience among the rest became palpable. There was a war still being waged and these diminutive squabbles came between the Empire and its conquest. The wiser understood a synergy existed between domination over the enemy and strengthening one's own might. The Rule of Order, it's Immortal Sith and the Sith-Imperial machine fed off that synergy. While the Kaggath was indeed outdated, settling the matter quickly and efficiently meant getting that machine working back at full capacity all the sooner, "yes let us end this dispute," he spoke to himself as the Twi'lek stepped away to continuing preaching her absurdities.

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

Aidee shuddered as the thunderous boom of Darth Pteron reverberated around the hall. Cara chanced a glance at the enormous fish-- mammal bowl, and gave an amused chuckle. If the duels were reinstated? If the Emperor and his son exchanged blows? She wouldn't mind, but she hoped the "Scarecrow" hit first.

But another hope lingered, that if there was a duel the Emperor would be the victor. Who was this son but a fallen Sith then failed Jedi, brought back to some pitiful form of life? You don't repair a piece of machinery with a broken replacement. And this golden-masked fellow fit the word-- Broken.

Cara noticed Telis Taharin-Zambrano below. Others here had been grouped together according to their own mindsets, why sit through the show alone? She pat Aidee on the chassis, startling the droid. Pointing down to Telis she gave a nod of her head and rose, Aidee then understanding they were changing seats. A closer view! The droid happily complied with the move.

Avernus spoke below. Was he truly siding with the naysayers? How much did he hold of her company, 10%? This was getting a bit too serious.

She took a seat near Telis, Aidee taking the chair between them. Without taking eyes off the players below, Cara whispered to the Machinist, "What do you think, Mr. Taharin? Does an empire with goals of dominating the galaxy, conquering worlds, and dissolving governments grow fat on peace?"

No words from any present Sith interested the engineer, their squabbles were a waste of time. But while she stewed in her criticism she heard Irveric Tavlar , and she felt herself pulled to listen. As he spoke she thought of the legionnaires she had fought beside, whose loyalty she never need question. He was correct. They were the backbone, the muscle, and the heart of the Empire. It was the Sith that were the nerves that moved the body, but like any system they needed to work together to stay alive. Her expression softened and hands resumed a steepled posture.

 

[Telis Taharin-Zambrano]

Telis would sit in silence as the arguments wore on endlessly, a tireless back-and-forth, a dance that never ended. Telis, all the while, kept his voice amidst the arguments - he learned from a young age to let the loud speak, and open themselves up for bitter retort before making his own say. He learned to be reactive, not impulsive. When Cara Dorniarn came to join him, Telis allowed a small smile to come to his face at the appearance of an ally amidst the arguing Lords and Ladies of the Dark Side of the Force. Her question was simple and straightforward, and it was a grateful change of pace from the conversations erupting around him. “How can we grow fat on peace if peace is a lie? That is the paradoxical irony of this whole situation - they whine that we have become too peaceful, and yet preach that peace doesn’t exist.”

Telis was a firm believer in the Sith Code. He had his life to thank for it, after all, and it has given him guidance in a life that was sorely lacking it. But what Darth Voyance was preaching was the greatest folly of all: genesis in retrograde. To believe that others were mounting behind it in a rallying cry was simply abhorrent to the Sith Knight - more abhorrent than a living corpse, or the fact that Avernus that had sided against an empire that claimed his kind as pure and divine. With the words that came down from Irveric Tavlar , Telis’s wry smile turned downwards, and his disposition turned as cold as his left hand as he looked once more back at Cara.

“In this commerce of demigods, both sides chase away their followers. A grave mistake, and an errand to repair.” Telis Taharin sighed heavily, a deep thing that came straight from his unimpressed soul. The assembly didn’t need anymore dominating voices, and yet every voice he had seen spoken so far was that of a Lord or Lady. Tugging at the hem of his heavy fur collar, Telis began to unfold it into a large, thin, white hood, pulling it low over his eyes to hide his identity from those who didn’t know that the investor sat amidst them. Putting a metallic hand on Cara’s shoulder, Telis rose to standing, brushing off his clothes as he looked towards the triumvirate of treasonous conspirators - Darth Voyance, Darth Avernus, and the bastard, Vaulkhar .

“The Sith Code may be forever, but it bears no weight if we are all dead, forgotten to history’s apathetic narration.” As he spoke, Telis’s voice curled into malicious intent, hidden behind a veil of fair-voiced oration. He stood out like a beacon, yet completely anonymous aside from his chin rough-razored with stubble, afternoon shadow, and red light. With the mixture of blood-crimson and shadow over his eyes, the Sith Knight looked nothing more than like a wraith, reanimated to speak out his words and then die once more.

“What you suggest, so-called ‘Oracle,’ is a return to our roots, roots that have led to countless Sith Empires falling, time and time again. What you preach isn’t zeal, but blinding fanaticism, the likes one could mistake for the following of the Jedi and their code.” Telis opened his arms out to his side, a smile of disbelief on his face before letting his frame become stiff once more. “Would, at that point, we be no better than the hypocritical Jedi whom our ancient ancestors had freed themselves from? Your suggestion of a blind following of traditionalism not only preaches a fear of moving forward, but is disgraceful of our forefathers and progenitors.”

Telis stepped away from his seat, closer towards the center of the room by a meagerly small amount, his voice a booming projection as he looked around towards the other Sith gathered, so many whose names he knew and whose names he might never know. “Traditionalism is not a belief. It is a reaction of fear. A fear of moving forward, a fear that their ancient mindsets will not be able to survive in an empire that changes to adapt to a galaxy that is ever-changing. My brothers and sisters, whether we accept the truth with open arms or not, stagnation means death. If we wish to survive, then we must move forward, and we must adapt to the circumstances that we are pitted against.”

Telis once more looked away from the gathered crowds, back to Vaulkhar, Darth Voyance, and Darth Avernus. He was disgusted in them all equally, their lack of ability to see the truth that the empire cannot survive by going backwards. “Some of us forget that it is schisms like this that have destroyed our forbearing empires. Darth Sideous was betrayed twice over by apprentices who believed in defiance rather than trust that the Empire could stand. Discord is the bane of the Sith. Unity is how we survive. Today, we have come together to mend this unity, and now we are being threatened by discord and revolution once more. What say you, Lord-Conspirators? How do you expect us to survive if you preach discord and imperial retrograde?”

“More than that, your beliefs, Darth Eccentricity, Darth Fanaticism, and Darth Baseness, turn away those who are not as gifted as we. Whether we can accept it or not, survival is not an isolationist activity. We cannot survive without those that are fighting on the front lines for us right now, and just the same, many of us could not reach the heights we are at with our Force teachings alone. My training in the Dark Side of the Force has gifted me only with skills I use for war and for the evolution of this-” The Sith Knight pointed down towards the ground of the amphitheater with his cybernetic hand, the lights beneath his skin flaring brightly “- empire. We are beyond mortal with our gifts, but we cannot forget that we still rely upon the skills we learned before we became enlightened to the ability to defy our fates. We cannot forget that those who are gifted with those same skills are all around us, beneath us, but still around us. They are a backbone of the Sith Empire, and to chase away those loyal to us is both dangerous and foolish.”

Telis stood in the room, no fear in his mind as he was surrounded by those who could kill him with a single willing wish. From beneath his hold, Telis looked around the room, before back at the forms of the three conspirators. “When it comes down to it, there is a reason why we must focus on moving forward. We adapt, we evolve, and we change, or we die.”

 

[Darth Bellum]

The holographic Anzati reclined in his seat as he returned to his initial posture, tilting his head as he rested it on a closed fist. The assembly was whipped into a foaming frenzy over such an obvious jab of incitement - yet another example of how the squabbling Sith were just as bad as the Mandalorians or Jedi. Children masquerading as adults who lacked the backbone or clarity of mind to have the foresight that this division was inevitable. Vexen unenthusiastically spoke, his voice modulated to a lower volume that didn't dominate the attention of the entire assembly, speaking in response to Kaalia Pavanos while the rest of the assembly began to butt heads with one another over ideals and their perception of how the Sith Empire is run.​

​

" Regardless of whether this is a familial dispute, it has become a matter of the Sith. If you lack the clarity of mind to see that the boy speaks some truth, then I truly do fear for the future of this Empire... Ignoring the cracks that appear in the foundation and acting like they do not exist will ultimately lead to everything crumbling beneath the weight of one's own arrogance. " ​

​

The Anzati made a subtle shrug as his gaze wandered across the assembly as more and more voices called for blood to be spilled, turning his gaze to the fiery red head before continuing on. " What would this meeting be except to repeat the same drivel of unity? I welcome this adversity in an assembly where strength dictates all else. Only an individual of power can rightly steer the course of this Empire. Would you not agree, Triumvir of Strength? " ​

​

Vexen's gaze returned to focus on Vaulkhar who continued to speak out, now with the support of Darth Voyance, " As we saw with the Mandalorians - Peace breeds weakness, and I will not suffer a weak Empire or Emperor and neither should any of the Sith present. " Vexen spoke with cold indifference, his words not conveying any hostile notions of treason - it was simply his entire reason for being over the centuries ' survival of the fittest - the weak will be culled '.​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You are quite right, Sacrorum."​

​

The Emperor allowed the discord to proceed as it did, letting the dissonance unfold where it may. He glanced down at his right hand, gloved in sumptuous leather of immaculate stitched, and allowed the power that churned deep within him to suffuse his digits with immeasurable fury. The thought of reaching out and silencing his wayward bastard through brute force, an electrical barrage of unbridled hate, had crossed the Emperor's mind many times since the beginning of his outburst. But, as time marched on, and the passionate protestations of Darth Voyance were brought up and succinctly debated, the Emperor allowed the power building in his digits to subside as his gaze swept from Vaulkhar to the Twi'lekian Oracle. ​

​

"But the whimpering of an unwanted child too ingratiated with his own insecurities does little to strengthen the bonds which connect us, even if he speaks sparse kernels of truth." He then turned to Ellie Mors and spoke, "I leave it up to you to deal with the boy. Your time with the other shall come." A predatory smile now flashed over his features as his focus resettled on Voyance, "It has been a long time since I found you in that opiate den, my dear Voyance. You have grown beyond the shadow in which you were trained, steeped in the lore of the Sith. Your conviction to our ancient ways is admirable, commendable even, for I understand that certain practices and rituals have been relegated to relics of a bygone age."​

​

Then he gestured to the rest of the congregation, allies and objectors all, "But if we are to call ourselves Sith, must we stubborn mire ourselves while evolution passes us by? We would be no better than the Jedi, wrought with weakness as they spread themselves thin over multiple Orders. Yes, we have changed since those ancient days, some for the better, some for the worse. And there comes a time when we must be reminded of our roots, of our deep heritage... So that is why I will hear your words out, my apprentice, so that we may grow."​

​

Lord General Irveric Tavlar 's outburst would be dealt with at a later time, as more pertinent matters called for his attention.​

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Overseer Seki

​

“You’ll hear the Dark Seer, but not the one standing with them?”, Overseer Seki said as she slowly stood from her seat.​

​

“Excuse my insolence, Dark Lord, but the ground you’re standing on is quickly becoming mud - and you’re slipping ever closer to a cliff you can’t come back from.”​

​

Her necrotic hands slowly fell on her thin hips, and the golden eyes of the Overseek looked upon the Emperor with a growing scrutiny. Maliphant would have his report - but she needed to make sure foremost her and her daughter would be safe; and if the Dark Lord couldn't maintain peace, or adapt his grand Empire, then she had to find another way.​

​

“The Sith weaken for more reasons than Voyance mentions - and you need to respond to all these claims, lest you stoke the flames of rebellion before your very eyes.”​

​

Her own narrowed for a moment as her arms came to cross her chest.​

​

“He may be an idiot, but his words carry emotion and reason; something everyone here will internalize when we leave.”​

​

Darth Carnifex │ Vaulkhar │ Darth Voyance │ Ellie Mors​

 

[Avernus]

"You leave your biggest critic to be handled by a subject in the face of denunciation!?"

Avernus raised his voice as to accost the entirety of the ascendant hall. He removed the hat from his head and tore the sunglasses from his face, discarding the essential pieces of his intergalactic fashion drip onto the ground. His left hand pointed outwards and ascended its focus up to the highest platform where those who think themselves above addressed the rest of them.

"How do you call yourself an Emperor when you show such fear in the presence of censure!? Do you fear the truth? Do you fear that the walls of your fabricated hierarchy are crumbling around you, so you attempt to save face before those who toil to keep them raised?"

Avernus made wide gestures with him arms, attempting to waylay all of them with his loud words.

"Do not turn a blind eye to this. You must deny what happens right before you! He leaves Vaulkhar to a subject and attempts to turn Voyance in back to his side! These are not the moves of an Emperor, they are the actions of a withering coward! Peace is not survival, it's the progressive weakening and subsequent death of our kind."

 

[Emperor Immortuos]

I could feel my jaw loosen and go slack hearing the Emperor respond as he did. Once again nothing was addressed. Suspicious that the Emperor and his family witch Braith, both had scoffed in the face of the sith they stood before. A slippery slope indeed. playing down the issues at hand and outright ignoring them was not mending. It was division.

There were no words I could say to bring to justice what burned within me or at least that was what I thought.

" This is an assembly to speak and be heard is it not?" My jaw grew stern causing decaying teeth to grind. " Why do you insist on playing down the issues at hand and waste our time?! Is this the mending you spoke of, My Emperor? You dance about choice subjects as if this is a mere game, my Lord. As does your family pet. Ellie Mors ." Braith was nothing more than a leech. A waste of breath and space that attached itself to power. A simple birther of a lineage that perhaps had stretched back further than time. The Zambranos.

" One would think the Shadow Hand would have a stronger leash for those he has mounted or.. broken Heheh." I chuckled under my breath, whispering the comment to acolytes and lords Whether the rumors about were true or not, I cared little. There was nothing they could do to hurt me here. " Heheheh"

I motioned my hand toward Irveric Tavlar briefly. His statement or outburst was just as valid if not more so than anything that had been spoke so far. It was his position that made him stand out to the like of me specially. This was a man I could respect and that was something I did not easily do.
" What of his statement? Or Hers? Do you really intend on continuing to play this all off? How can we fight our enemies if we ourselves cannot even sort out our own!" Immortuos looked Overseer Seki up and down. Licking his teeth.

Darth Carnifex
Vaulkhar
Darth Voyance
Avernus

​

 

[Darth Quercus]

Quercus' instrument keeled over. A nearby Sith marauder - a Massassi of nigh-Voracitan stature - sat up straight, came over, and began typing on Quercus' datapad with surprisingly delicate clawtips.

KEY ARGUMENTS

• Velok the Youngest - Bring back the Kaggath.
• Darth Voyance - Many have forgotten tradition.
• Ellie Mors - Rejects Voyance's division; meeting should focus on efficiency of conquest.
• Darth Carnifex - Plea for unity.
• Vaulkhar Zambrano - Rule of Order has diverged from the Sith teachings; foundations of Carnifex's rule crumbling; the convocation does not demonstrate unity in allegiance to Carnifex.
• Darth Carnifex - Vaulkhar wastes time and should remember his place.
• Darth Bellum - Stability requires understanding and working with the opposition, or silencing them with more than words.
• Khel - Accuses Vaulkhar of sexual desire for Jedi.
• Darth Abaddon - Vaulkhar's arguments are biased by his hatred of Carnifex.
• Darth Immortuos - Vaulkhar is correct. Kor Vexen is correct. Calls on Carnifex to answer the points raised.
• Darth Imperius - Questioning Carnifex is foolish while surrounded by his supporters. Calls on Vaulkhar to apologize.
• Kaalia Pavanos , Darth Avacyn - Abaddon is correct. Meeting should focus on Sith matters, not family dispute.
• Darth Voyance - Rejects the entire concept of empire; all empires fall; Sith Code is paramount; imperial stability is peace and thus anathema to the way of the Sith; all present are not Sith, just servants to Zambrano dynasty.
• Vaulkhar Zambrano - Points out embarrassing defeats and the Emperor's protective gauntlet as evidence of weakness in the Zambrano regime.
• Darth Imperius - Calls on Vaulkhar to validate himself through demonstrating strength; challenges Vaulkhar to fight.
• Overseer Seki - Rebukes Imperius. Claims the debate should continue until it finds a natural conclusion.
• Darth Voracitos - Proposes a modified kaggath where Carnifex and his challenger(s) compete against each other by and while conquering a mutual enemy, e.g. the Silver Jedi.
• Braith Achlys - Rebukes Voyance. Argues that the Sith Code encompasses the strength to build and wield an empire.
• Velok the Youngest - Supports Voracitos' proposal.
• Darth Pteron - Supports Voracitos' proposal.
• Taeli Raaf , Darth Arcanix - Supports Voracitos' proposal. Challenges Voyance to demonstrate a better way than empire to extend the galactic reach of the Dark Side.
• Khel - Supports Voracitos' proposal. Argues that Voyance's choice of words over action demonstrates both cowardice and inappropriate idealism.
• General Tavlar - Argues the Sith are unworthy of the Empire and traditional debates are disconnected from Imperial matters.
• Darth Voyance - Rebukes Achlys. Reiterates her core arguments.
• Darth Zveris - The debate is a distraction from the Empire.
• Lord Venari - Rebukes Voyance. Empire is essential to the survival and victory of the Sith; those who do not embrace it have died at the hands of their enemies.
• An unknown Sith {@Telis Taharin} - Rebukes Voyance. Traditionalism is antithetical to progress and thus to triumph. Historical defeats expose weaknesses in previous Sith structure and thought.
• Darth Bellum - Welcomes this verbal conflict as a means of strengthening the Empire and mending broken foundations (a point on which he partially agrees with Vaulkhar). No Sith should allow a weak Empire or Emperor.
• Darth Carnifex - Disdains Vaulkhar. Concedes the value of tradition and encourages Voyance to speak.
• Overseer Seki - Questions why Carnifex encourages Voyance but does not respond to Vaulkhar's points.
• Darth Avernus - Alleges that Carnifex is trying to split Vaulkhar and Voyance by marginalizing the former and upholding the latter.
• Darth Immortuos - Seki and Avernus are correct; Carnifex should answer all arguments.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

This was not a world where Kentarch belonged. Massive skyscrapers piercing the sky, glittering with neon lights, an electric silhouette against a static sky. Below a metropolis overrun by decadence, depravity, excess, and indulgence shamelessly on display as some trophy to rival the other great galactic cities. A stranger, traitor, and rogue the plain black-cloaked figure that was Darth Kentarch stepped onto a terrace that overlooked the Emperor's Palace. In this fleeting moment he truly knew what it felt like to be defeated. His homeworld destroyed and his enemies living like gods in an opulent palace. This was not a world where Kentarch belonged.

A gathering was taking place. Somewhere among the congregating crowds of the Sith, Kentarch managed to slip in unnoticed. In what was supposed to be an hour of victory for the Empire. Instead of a celebration of triumph there was convocation to mend a supposed rift within the ranks of the Sith. As the Ascendant Hall filled with Sith, Kentarch managed to gain access easily as just another onlooker. In the minutes that followed the conversation polarized by those who saw the empire as an Imperial Cult, and those who supported the status quo.

The flames of rebellion. When the words were spoken, a rare smile crept across Kentarch's face. His steps echoed as he finally stepped forward but he did not address the Dark Lord, he addressed his peers instead.

"Perhaps you should ask yourself." Darth Kentarch finally said to Avernus . "How he came to be Dark Lord and Emperor. It was something he never earned through true rites of the Sith." His voice was deep and ominous. "A greater insult, he was marginally elected, in a republican congress by his tight nit sect of his loyal followers. He does not move or act like a Dark Lord or an Emperor. Because he never truly was one."

His attention turned to Darth Voyance "The wheel of time turns. War. Peace. You speak of these with great truth that has not been heard among the ranks of the Sith even long before the founding of this empire. But there is a sequence that must be followed, a final act that must play out. The endless waltz of history, peace itself, can only be broken in the fires of revolution."

 

[Kascalion Giedfield]

The Devil Lion had retired to his throne upon witnessing the debate build towards its critical mass, his interest quickly deflated when others beyond original expectations had joined with their frantic voices. His eyes, dual-colored yet buried under their veneer of stoicism, fell upon those that spoke to be heard and burned upon those who made whispers amongst the cacophony. The red and bony hands of his Proxy Prime gripped the stone arms of the throne, waiting as the arguments of Darth Voyance , Vaulkhar , Avernus , Irveric Tavlar , Darth Voracitos , Ellie Mors , Khel , even Telis Taharin-Zambrano , his dear apprentice, and many more filled the marvel of construction they stood within.

It was an impressive thing, he decided after more time had passed, to witness the superpower of the Galaxy debate in such a manner, even if many of the arguments were of a heavily biased nature. To see such a dichotomy of ideas on what it meant to be Sith. What it meant to an Empire. While his attention to the semantics and grave-deep details of these logics and reasonings was moderate at best, he could not deny that the vocalization of the Dark Oracle Voyance, in particular, drew his attention the most. In some ways, he conceded, she was more than right. In others, wrong.

Regardless, it became eventually tiresome to Kascalion, if not wholly facetious and unnecessary, and he desired that the meeting continue on as planned. Before long, his recognition of any of the polemics being made against and for Carnifex and the Lord of Ash's compatriots became slim to non-existent, the hum of words being lodged at the base of his hippocampus to be disregarded for eternity.

"I tire of this mindless chatter," Kascalion sighed to himself as he rested his face on his open right hand whilst allowing crackles of red-black lightning to spread between the fingers of his left. "Why do we see so fit to bicker amongst ourselves in such vitriolic ways? Accept the other's point of view and move on. Bah...perhaps I am just getting old."

Then the Emperor finally spoke once more. While the Devil Lion had visibly showcased little care for the meanderings of the meeting thus far, the sudden return of the Tyrant's demanding voice sparked some embers of interest within him, almost forcing him to rise to a full seated position within the throne. The full-fledged engrossment into the meeting that the Devil Lion felt was long since passed, of course, but he could not rebuff said embers which seemed to almost push him into the debate, against his better wishes. As such, it felt to Kascalion, at the very least, that the words spoken by the Emperor commanded that all eyes set their steely gazes upon the two Sith in question, particularly Voyance herself who appeared to be the main subject of the current proceedings.

The Devil Lion's face formed a ghost of a smile in spite of himself, the intrigue once centered on the spoiled spawn now on how the Twi'Lek would react to the Tyrant's locutions. However, this renewed attention and intrigue would quickly turn to Darth Avernus, a rather affluent Sith Pureblood, if appearances were anything to make a conclusion off of, who had sided with Vaukhar during the bastard's rant. The child (everyone is a child to a man nearly 600 years their senior) spouted his vexations, blubbered and spat towards the Emperor's apparent disregard for his son's words. It was almost amusing to the Dark Councilor who leaned forward, hands clasped together between his knees.

"And what, praytell, would you do in his stead, Avernus?" Kascalion began, dual-colored eyes fixated on the Pureblood. "Do you not control your own personal company? Aiuriss Holdings and Investments Inc., I believe it is called? Do you deal with every dissenter and opponent personally? Do you march to every person who spits on you and strike them down where they stand for daring to oppose you? Or do you have specialized roles to handle such matters as you manage your time ensuring you look ostentatious and gilded for a meeting of the Sith? Ensuring that your face is plastered in as many areas as possible? The Emperor, like a business owner should understand, has no time to deal with every stray dog who can only nip and bark where it suits them like the bastard. So do not think yourself able to command him to do the very thing you yourself do not do."

 

[Imperius]

These Sith had strayed from the one true path. Emboldened by numbers, they went up against thise far more mighty. Well then, perhaps it was time to show them just how...unwise their reasoning truly was.
Hear me, and hear me well, members of this empire. Some of you talked about unity. And yet with your own brash, unplanned actions, you alienate the strongest amongst us. You pathetically mewl about how there are important issues to be discussed, but once again whine and question when the Emperor tries to move on from this squabble. Perhaps a bit of introspection is in order, ne?
I have never been an eloquent speaker, but I refuse to hear such slander about rapid change. Dear Organisms need to evolve, yes, but Rapid, uncontrollable change is called CANCER, NOT EVOLUTION. Telis Taharin-Zambrano
And you. You, Avernus , are a fellow pureblood. We have a greater destiny. We are meant for bigger things than to Be unduly influenced by people who themselve have no semblance of respect, tradition or thought.
But now was not simply the time to speak and discuss rhetoric- Imperius needed to be prepared for whatever might come, and so he approache Darth Ophidia . It was time to find out whether the emperor had a plan alread in action, or whether Imperius should prepare himself for some...cleansing.
It was a tad bit bold to walk from the back of the hall to one of the seats flanking the Emperor’s throne, but Imperius deemed it necessary, and so he approached the Pyramid of Galactic Influence. Darth Carnifex Vaulkhar Kaalia Pavanos Velok Brokentusk Darth Pteron Darth Voyance Taeli Raaf Darth Immortuos Khel Kascalion Giedfield Taresa Kae Ellie Mors Darth Bellum Valessia Brentioch Cara Dorniarn Darth Quercus Darth Voracitos AMCO Gunnr Zambrano Isaiah Dax Aren D'Shade Sere Reene

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

SIBC Headquarters, Scipio

---

"What do you think they're talking about?"

Aerarii Tithe didn't even bother to look up from his datapad. Since the moment his colleagues had entered his office high up in the SIBC HQ on the frozen world of Scipio, his active holoprojector had been the bantha in the room. The symbol of the Sith Order slowly rotating above the holoprojector in the corner of the office over the Treasuer-General's right shoulder. On strict orders from Grand Treasuer Beltis Kishar, Aerarii was to keep an active hololink open to the Sith convication underway in the Ascendant Hall in case he was contacted. No breaks, no meetings, no stepping away from his desk. The likelihood that he would be called upon to provide monetary or fiscal input to the secretive meeting with extremely low, and Aerarii suspected it was another ploy by Kishar to exert control over him.

On the plus side, going to such extremes confirmed that Aerarii's boss was seeing him as an increasing threat. His work on Kintan and Mandalore was paying off.

"Do you have the latest audit report on Starfighter Corp major acquisitions?" Aerarii's colleague nodded to a datapad balanced precariously on a large stack of flimsiplast. The Treasurer-General picked up the report and skimmed the executive summary. As expected, the project was over budget and behind schedule. "Contact the Supreme Marshall's office and provide them with a copy of the report, and a request that the project manager be... dealt with, accordingly." Given recent events, major military undertakings could not be allowed to fall behind.

"I mean, it must be important to call all of them in," his colleague continued, still looking at the holoprojector.

The bureaucrat placed the datapad on his desk and leaned back in his chair. "I couldn't possibly begin to imagine," he replied, removing his spectacles and rubbing his eyes.

He pointed toward the holoprojector with his spectacles. "Whatever this is, we shouldn't let it concern us until the moment it does. The Emperor and his Lord and Ladies are free to meet and mingle as they please. Maybe they're electing a new Emperor, maybe they're declaring war on the Confederacy." Aerarii put his spectacles back on, leaned forward on his chair and began consulting another datapad.

"Maybe they're bickering over nothing. Maybe they're..."

He caught himself short of saying anything too treasonous. He peered up over this spectacles at his colleagues, who were waiting with baited breath for him to finish his sentence.

"That will be all."

Disappointed, the Banking Clan officials collected their belongings and departed, leaving Aerarii alone in his office. Rotating his chair, he stared out his window over the ice covered tundra of Scipio.

Despite what he had said, something was going down in Ascendant Hall. He could only hope that the ramifications did not extend to him in any negative way.

After a moment of quiet contemplation Aerarii turned back to his desk, picked up the next datapad and began pouring over the report it contained.

The wheels of bureaucracy continued to turn.

 

[Mordecai Zambrano]

"Why in the world did you want me to come with you to this?" A whispering voice.

Stifling a giggle was not easy. Mordecai already had tears threatening to stream down his face. "They're talking!" His whisper-shout barely leaving their private, onlooking perch.

Carly turned to give him a bewildered look. "Is that not common? Don't people normally do that? Especially when they're running an empire?"

"Aye, but back in my day, we fought to the death over who was right and wrong." Mordecai eased out, his laughter finally subsiding. "Now this, this is new. History even! I just wanted you to be a part of it, plus it'll get insanely drab without someone to talk to."

His wife gave a short laugh of her own. "How did you survive these fights to the death?"

"Oh," he smiled, "I would just wait for one of them to win. Then when he was tired and spent, I'd just kill him and take both of their things."

Carly looked shocked. As if her husband was hardly capable of using his brain as much as he used his muscles.

Mordecai shrugged. "I guess now I wait for them all to fight and just kill the last one standing." He gave her a look, "I'll let you know if that happens, so you can get out of here."

Carly Zambrano turned to face her husband, smiling. "I'll be fine here, love. As long as I'm not in the splash zone."

 

[AMCO]

Such passion and such vitriol. The young Knight might have preferred a more controlled debate, all the better to meticulously evaluate the worth and value of every argument, but such was not possible amongst the bulk of the Order. Perhaps one day he would rise high enough for his voice to be heard above all others, but that time was not today. He was arrogant, not delusional.

Still, that did not mean he could not participate, in his own way. Smiling softly, he turned his gaze back towards the hovering Whaladon. <"Ah, but change to what purpose? How many great Empires fell to infighting with victory on the horizon? Stagnation is folly, to be sure, but chaos unrestrained is just as bad. The worthy still stake their claims, face their foes, but with more subtlety - I dare say there is some wisdom in Darth Voracitos ' words. To pit the Sith against our mutual foes for the benefit of the whole, rather than allowing ourselves to be destroyed from within.">

In Ellie Mors , Telis Taharin-Zambrano , and, unsurprisingly, Taeli Raaf , there was much he found himself agreeing with, and some he did not. To him, the Code would always be secondary - guidelines to the shifting paths to power, not a goal in and of itself. Perhaps it was time he spoke after all.

"The Sith Code is no foundation for an Empire, not alone. It is the tool by which we excel as individuals, but a foundation built solely upon individuals cannot hope to last, as has been proven so many times in the past." Pausing, he smiled, eyes gleaming. "It is as individuals we are strongest, yes, that it what is means to be Sith, but it is only when our interests align that we can hope to bend the Galaxy, perhaps even reality itself, to our will."

"That is what it means to be an Order."

Aren D'Shade | Darth Pteron | Isaiah Dax​

 

[Darth Centax]

Judgment fizzled out of view, her work at the wall in shadows done and completely uninterrupted by anyone, she was no longer needed. Because Judgment was passed.

Slow heavy steps took Centax towards the hall. The arguments ahead were furious and passionate but words. The mewling low grating in the force was like chalk on the wall gnawing at him. Unlike the assassin before him, Centax didn’t have the patience or the care to be subtle. The doors of this place flew open, any token guards in his way simply crushed by the impact.

Uncloaking his armored head, behind the silver lining he looked upon those assembled weighing their worth or lack of it. The runic sith legacy carved into his armor as his Master once did. From the back of the hall, his attention fixed at the far seated council not saying a word. A pressured attention focused on Taeli Raaf as if it could crush the air and the chair along with her. That was a different matter, there was strangely a sith respect there to warrant that attention at all. Old stories indeed.

As for most of the rest. Half sounded like Jedi. He breathed out, crushgaunts tensing. Few got more than a passing acknowledgment they were even alive, barely registering to the sith. The aura in the force facing them was black, crushed, pressured sith legacy bred into the bone. You could cut the air around it. If there wasn’t so much weakness here, it might have been worth his time cutting.

The past was here to see what the future was, or end part of it forever. As always the sith general didn’t travel alone, if others needed a crutch he would oblige. The wall behind well marked, and a failure of the observant through their talk to hinder judgment on the foundations. Symbolism well placed, and a danger revealed if required.

Next move.

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

Meanwhile, in New Avalonia, Prefsbelt IV,
During an uncomfortable family reunion.

​

Light spilled in from a large window looking out onto the rows of government buildings surrounding the office, golden rays slipping past the heavy red curtains and striking the sleek black desk, a tray of sandwiches, two delicate cups. Two seated figures, both sitting rigidly at their places, were bathed in warmth.

Madelyn placed her teacup down and ran a manicured nail across the surface of the desk, sweeping up an imaginary mote of dust. Beside her, a datapad chimed, the screen lighting briefly to display an alert. She shot a brief glance at the woman opposite, who sighed, telling her to take it. Tapping the screen primly, she read the report, raising a carefully-shaped eyebrow as she skimmed the lines.

"Anything important?" The voice of her guest broke the silence, and Madelyn looked up, shaking her head and giving a warm if dishonest smile.

"Probably not, Sister, but it is a rather interesting tidbit."

Karina nodded to herself, and Madelyn did her best to keep her eyes on her. The smooth, artificial skin in place of her half-sister's eyes was rather unsettling. She found herself missing the massive metal plate that had previously covered her face, even though it too had been rather unsightly.

Poor Karina, always the misery-guts of their twisted little family. Though, Madelyn supposed that was to be expected given the girl's unfortunate circumstances. Here, she looked especially miserable, stuffed into her drab funeral regalia, her mouth pulling down at the corners. She was probably thinking about how she'd prefer to be running about fraternising with her mindless Legion drones. The little darling lacked sophistication like that.

"Something I'd find interesting?"

Madelyn fought back a sigh at the girl's prying, but she allowed herself a moment of calm and decided to indulge Karina. She was family, after all.

"Well, that was a message from one of my contacts. The Treasurer-General is on-call for the Emperor's little gathering, but he seems no more in the loop than I am about the topic of their conversation."

Karina nodded slowly, her forehead crinkling unattractively. Madelyn looked past her.

"Tithe? What would he be doing for a gathering of the Sith?"

"Apparently, he's there in some sort of advisory capacity, but if my sources are correct, the Sith seem to have forgotten he's there." Madelyn giggled to herself. The image of the treasurer-general sitting by his datapad, growing ever more impatient, was rather amusing.

"While it's entertaining to see Treasurer-General Tithe sidelined, the information coming out of his office is altogether irrelevant."

"Why's that?"

Madelyn beamed, unable to hide the genuine, giddy joy from her face. She gave her sister a sly look.

"I have a mole. If she hasn't arrived yet, she will momentarily. Soon I'll know everything there is to know about this sordid little meeting of the minds."

Karina gazed at her with... Appreciation? Confusion? Contempt? Madelyn honestly couldn't tell what her sister was feeling anymore. What did she think of her Madelyn, sitting here so powerful and so proper? Did she hate her, or did she still hold on to that sisterly affection despite everything?

Truth be told, Madelyn didn't care either way.

 

[Darth Quercus]

Quercus' glorious blossoms were, by this point, wilting.

KEY ARGUMENTS

• Velok the Youngest - Bring back the Kaggath.
• Darth Voyance - Many have forgotten tradition.
• Ellie Mors - Rejects Voyance's division; meeting should focus on efficiency of conquest.
• Darth Carnifex - Plea for unity.
• Vaulkhar Zambrano - Rule of Order has diverged from the Sith teachings; foundations of Carnifex's rule crumbling; the convocation does not demonstrate unity in allegiance to Carnifex.
• Darth Carnifex - Vaulkhar wastes time and should remember his place.
• Darth Bellum - Stability requires understanding and working with the opposition, or silencing them with more than words.
• Khel - Accuses Vaulkhar of sexual desire for Jedi.
• Darth Abaddon - Vaulkhar's arguments are biased by his hatred of Carnifex.
• Darth Immortuos - Vaulkhar is correct. Kor Vexen is correct. Calls on Carnifex to answer the points raised.
• Darth Imperius - Questioning Carnifex is foolish while surrounded by his supporters. Calls on Vaulkhar to apologize.
• Kaalia Pavanos , Darth Avacyn - Abaddon is correct. Meeting should focus on Sith matters, not family dispute.
• Darth Voyance - Rejects the entire concept of empire; all empires fall; Sith Code is paramount; imperial stability is peace and thus anathema to the way of the Sith; all present are not Sith, just servants to Zambrano dynasty.
• Vaulkhar Zambrano - Points out embarrassing defeats and the Emperor's protective gauntlet as evidence of weakness in the Zambrano regime.
• Darth Imperius - Calls on Vaulkhar to validate himself through demonstrating strength; challenges Vaulkhar to fight.
• Overseer Seki - Rebukes Imperius. Claims the debate should continue until it finds a natural conclusion.
• Darth Voracitos - Proposes a modified kaggath where Carnifex and his challenger(s) compete against each other by and while conquering a mutual enemy, e.g. the Silver Jedi.
• Braith Achlys - Rebukes Voyance. Argues that the Sith Code encompasses the strength to build and wield an empire.
• Velok the Youngest - Supports Voracitos' proposal.
• Darth Pteron - Supports Voracitos' proposal.
• Taeli Raaf , Darth Arcanix - Supports Voracitos' proposal. Challenges Voyance to demonstrate a better way than empire to extend the galactic reach of the Dark Side.
• Khel - Supports Voracitos' proposal. Argues that Voyance's choice of words over action demonstrates both cowardice and inappropriate idealism.
• General Tavlar - Argues the Sith are unworthy of the Empire and traditional debates are disconnected from Imperial matters.
• Darth Voyance - Rebukes Achlys. Reiterates her core arguments.
• Darth Zveris - The debate is a distraction from the Empire.
• Lord Venari - Rebukes Voyance. Empire is essential to the survival and victory of the Sith; those who do not embrace it have died at the hands of their enemies.
• An unknown Sith { Telis Taharin-Zambrano } - Rebukes Voyance. Traditionalism is antithetical to progress and thus to triumph. Historical defeats expose weaknesses in previous Sith structure and thought.
• Darth Bellum - Welcomes this verbal conflict as a means of strengthening the Empire and mending broken foundations (a point on which he partially agrees with Vaulkhar). No Sith should allow a weak Empire or Emperor.
• Darth Carnifex - Disdains Vaulkhar. Concedes the value of tradition and encourages Voyance to speak.
• Overseer Seki - Questions why Carnifex encourages Voyance but does not respond to Vaulkhar's points.
• Darth Avernus - Alleges that Carnifex is trying to split Vaulkhar and Voyance by marginalizing the former and upholding the latter.
• Darth Immortuos - Seki and Avernus are correct; Carnifex should answer all arguments.
• Darth Kentarch - Questions Carnifex's legitimacy. Historical cycles make evolution inevitable.
• Kascalion Giedfield - Proposes mutual tolerance and ideological pluralism. Rebukes Avernus for hypocrisy in his criticism of Carnifex.
• Darth Imperius - Cautions that rapid change is cancer, not evolution.
• Darth Centax - Judges all present, nonverbally.

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Sith," said Velok, more seriously than he'd spoken before, "I have a proposal that will accomplish far less than it should."

The huge Whiphid's voice was clearly audible throughout the hall.

"Like you, I find myself thinking about the qualities I value and respect in a leader. Courage. Intelligence. Innovation. Scholarship. Competence. Responsibility and reliability. Lack of undue bias. Clear and precise judgment.

"I propose we bow to the destroyer of the New Jedi Order, the greatest alchemical beastmaker since Sorzus Syn - Darth Arcanix, Dark Lord of the Sith."