Faction The Darkness Is Revealing [TSE]

[Seydon of Arda]

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

Between gluts of onerous speech, Quercus’ mechno-chair chimed a small bell-note. Their flesh-golem tending to the chairs basic operation stood boulder-still on its heels, intent on remembering how to breathe, wide, blanked eyes darkened of thought. The bell chime rang again. A shape partially slouched on a wrought-steel bench shifted onto his legs, retrieved a spouted pail from the floor, and stalked over.

Seydon’s nose stung. The hall air was marred from pheromonal undercurrents and bodily discharges produced by the debate, given an acrid razor edge by unspoken tensions slowly twisting more and more taut. He slipped past armoured and robed bodies, careful against rustling, stepping soundlessly and kneeling beside the orchid hybrid’s chair. He lifted the pail and dabbed a pinkie into the rehydration solution, tasting it; at the plant’s request, Seydon had treated its ‘drink’ with a pair of heavily diluted decoctions. A sip would give most standard humanoids intestinal hemorrhaging and watery diarrhea. To Quercus, it’d register slight enervation wafting up its internal nerve architecture. He angled the spout and began dousing its soil base potted thickly in its Fair Widow’s Vase. The watering paused to rake its leaves with scatters of iridescent droplets.

“Hm-hm-hm…” Seydon hummed, retrieving a marked glass stick fitted with a digital read-out port and sticking it into the soil. Ph levels were read back at him. Nominal. The plant hadn’t trusted its golem-helper beyond basic, dexterous tasks. Their contract covered the length of the debate, and promised modest, if easy, pay.

Darth Quercus

 

[Darth Voracitos]

Voracitos reclined - if such a thing where physically possible - as his proposal was met with general approval, some of them were big players as in literally big, as well as politically big. One of which being his fellow Triumvir, Taeli Raaf , who sent a rather entertaining and short missive. Anzat was an entertaining and useful little game, and he had been wondering if any would catch on at all. Now Voracitos wondered what the intelligent woman would think Anzat actually was.

Finally! Now, what have we learned? Voracitos sent a missive back after a few moments.

The moments afterward failed to capture the Sith Lords' interests, and not allowing boredom to succumb him to the verbal detritus that occupied the room, Voracitos began to abuse his powers to summon obscure meats from kitchens near his Flesh Golems across the galaxy, and feasted upon them. Few speeches made it to his attention, such as the treasonous General, and for the most part the feasting giant disengaged from the conversation... until once again Velok Brokentusk made a proposal somehow more treasonous than the General.

A deep smile interrupted the feasting of his stomach, while his face smile faltered slightly. If she were to be an Empress, she would serve most beautifully on the Throne... but if she were Empress, perhaps she would not see his actions the way he did. That would be unacceptable. Voracitos gaze fell upon Taeli Raaf to gauge his peer's reaction to such a proposition.

Suddenly, a memory came to Voracitos... of a different Velok, proclaiming Voracitos Emperor. The smiles of Voracitos deepened and rumbled slightly with mirth at the sight of history repeating itself under the altered circumstances. Velok would find a very large slab of aromatic meat now sitting upon his podium plucked straight from his personal palaces kitchen.

 

[Lord Venari]

Anger danced in flickers of fire and light behind Venari's eyes. The slowly growing allocutions of the Sith'ariqo carried miniscule currents of truth within an expansive ocean of falsehoods & heresy. To accuse the Sith-Imperial Empire of such weakness was intolerable. The emperor need but tighten his grip around the small lives of these secessionists and make an example of them. The others would fall in line, he thought to himself. The Sith code was doctrine to be lived by as each practitioner saw fit, they who accumulated the greatest power sat the throne and ruled over the Sith and by extension the Empire. Yet, the Emperor abides this swelling cancer that would end our Immortal Sith as it did our predecessors. History made the greatest mentor, one Darth Voyance clearly studied under yet she chose willful ignorance along with the other Sith'ariqo.

Venari crept to a pace, seething impatience - while playing a game of patience. He flexed his gloved hands, balling them up then releasing again, awaiting the next claim, the next move. His fury grew, but his was not the place to make judgment. Not yet. Such station was still beyond his grasp, but the paradigm could always shift. One way or another the status quo would soon change.

When Velok Brokentusk advocated for Taeli Raaf 's ascension to the throne, Venari found himself scoffed, did he jest? Time away from the politics of Bastion left Venari out of the know. Darth Arcanix was capable, but from what Venari understood of the inner circle her own interests aligned with the Emperor's. Unless she felt herself in position to replace him, why would she cultivate further discord in the system that served her?

The Sith Lord's pacing ceased as he sneered about the amphitheater. The Sith were in need of not a simple reminder, but a complete course correction. The Rule of Order promoted cooperation, but did not forbid the precise removal of weakness. Culling the upstarts too staunch in their convictions had become necessity. A sacrifice so that the immortal Sith could reach its fullest potential.

 

[Darth Morrow]

The woman lurked further in the assembly, her back against the farthest reaches of the chamber as she watched in silence. Hatred spread through her being as she listened to the words of the traitors in the room, inviting themselves to the gathering of the order to do nothing but reek havoc and tear a rift through the fragile remaining bonds that held the Sith as one. Sulfuric eyes watched the twi'lek she held such disdain for in recent years, that feeling only growing in each passing moment. Stepping forward, she emerged from the shadow to watch the outspoken heretics speak.

"Child, you are nothing without this Empire, you were raised to power by the man before you, and gifted all that you have by his will and his will alone. You best hold your tongue to words of spite else you might lose it." Chaos poured over the hundreds gathered in the large space, seated around to hear the words of the Emperor and his council. "You say we are not Sith, yet you do nothing but hide and play with your visions. You hold no power, and you are nothing but a slave to your superiority complex."

"Should you desire to make point that you are more Sith than any other here, then prove it. How often do you stand by our side to expand our influence and continue the longevity of our order. The Empire is of no importance here, you stand against the Sith ways. You hide in the history of our kind who have been extinguished from the galaxy as their methods and beliefs were faulty just as your own. You know nothing of power or growth."

Darth Morrow watched, stared with contempt at Voyance, anger brewing through her very soul. "If you are not a part of our order crawl back to your cave as you have no place to stand against us as a whole." Her eyes then passed to her husband.

"And should you allow her to besmirch the name of all of us here, I will not stand under you any longer. For we need to stand united against our common enemy; the Jedi. They are children who stand against progress, determined to tear down all we have worked to bring together."

Darth Voyance | Darth Carnifex | Vaulkhar

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Before Darth Voyance had a chance to speak again, to address Taeli's quietly asked question, the pureblood Avernus thundered and spat his outrage and an equal outrage was expressed by the image with Darth Bellum , one of the Lord Generals, Irveric Tavlar . Voyance herself was challenged by Khel as well, speaking his thoughts on the Twi'lek's and those standing near her chosen venue for their ideas.

Eyes within the shadow of her narrowed as Avernus literally spat on his floor, trying to make himself as loud as possible in his protestations and accusations. Tavlar could be dealt with later, that would be for Kor to handle at any rate, but the Sith Pureblood was not convincing to her. Overdramatic grandstanding that it was. She found long ago that it was the quieter word, the subtle action, that could really turn hearts and minds. It had allowed her to work within the New Jedi Order for a decade, subverting it and the Galactic Alliance it supported were ready to fall.

She did appreciate, when she finally spoke again, Voyance's poison metaphor though, but there was a dual edge to using such imagery in her opinion.

"Even medicine can become poison if the dosage is too much," she replied quietly to the Twi'lek. "But please, elaborate when you have the chance on some specifics."

She would express that thought, but the reply from Darth Voracitos distracted her for a moment. She certainly missed the greeting from Darth Zveris as she read it over and formulated her reply.

The emitters were a nice touch, spreading your hunger into the spirits and bodies of the Anzati with none the wiser. But for one such as yourself, I wonder to what ends expanding your... followers is leading to.

Her message sent, she refocused on the flow of conversation again as Lord Venari spoke and she listened intently as Telis Taharin-Zambrano , one of the Sith Knights, boldly challenged the, for lack of a better term at the moment, accusers. They would be someone worth watching, she thought. Finally the Emperor spoke, delegating the tasks of dealing with his wayward son to the aunt and speaking to the points raised by the Oracle, and to an extent, Vaulkhar . Others clearly did not see it that way, Avernus even threw his hat and sunglasses away.

Purple eyes narrowed further as the insults were thrown towards Ellie Mors by Darth Immortuos. And then it started to become more interesting as a proven enemy of the Sith Empire Darth Kentarch revealed himself. She distinctly recalled his actions during the campaign against the Dominion, although she thought he had died then and his skull was used to decorate the Krayiss library. Curious. It did suggest something else was afoot though. Leaning forward in her seat, image flickering, she smiled as Kascalion Giedfield grumbled and brought logic down upon Avernus.

As a company owner herself, one didn't deal with every situation directly. That was what subordinates and allies were for, to handle situations you either couldn't or didn't want to handle yourself. AMCO spoke up and she felt the smile widen as he went to the heart of the matter in a way, silently applauding one of the more diligent alchemists that were within her sphere. A new arrival burst into the hall, although she did not recognize them or knew of the connection she had with Darth Centax , forged when she killed Raien Keth.

And then she was thrown for a loop as Velok Brokentusk proposed that SHE take the throne as Empress. She had of course fantasized about it, every Sith did of course, to one day rule... but to hear it said aloud like that, and in such glowing terms, well it was flattering. It was also a dangerous proposal, because while she did have a strong power base, she also knew Kaine's was more extensive, more militarized. She had helped build parts of it over the past decade and a half now. If it came to a fight, could she defeat Kaine and Prazutis for any true challenge for the throne would require a fight with the uncle too? Could one defeat the Blackblades, Crownguard, and the Zambrano family and all of their vast resources?

With allies, possibly. She might be able to match one of the Zambrano Lords in a direct fight, but not both at once. It would be a colossal undertaking and cost too much. No, as lovely as the idea was, she wasn't in a position to fight for the throne. Not presently at least. But then direct fighting hadn't been how she and Carnifex had brought down the Alliance either. Guile was better, but it took time. Not yet.

"You're too kind, Lord Velok," she responded. "A girl always loves such glowing flattery." It was a very gentle, not rebuke to his proposal, and not an outright rejection, but it was a carefully worded deflection. There was an ever so subtle shake of her head to the Whiphid. No... not yet. But perhaps... someday.

 

[Vaulkhar]

Vaulkhar's horrific grin only grew in size, inhumane in appearance, as others spoke. Some had come to see this display for what it was, a boost to the emperor's ego and reaffirmation that the empire was all-powerful. Others latched onto his and Voyance's words, while some fought against it and swore up and down the empire's power had not waned. With each passing second chaos settled deeper into the encounter, only to be furthered by his father's inability to contest his words. Passing the contest of rhetoric off to Vaulkhar's aunt could be used as a weapon against the Dark Lord, but would engaging him further prove anything? Those who would turn against his father's regime likely already spoke out or took the words of Voyance and himself into consideration. Everything else around him proved negligible as far as the bastard was concerned.

He allowed his baleful gaze to once more settle on his father. "You may turn me over to her if you so desire, Dark Lord, but you only strengthen my stance. Your inability to speak against my word proves your position is weakening. You claim to be all-powerful, a true paragon of the dark side, yet you fear an encounter here and now. You stand on high, speaking to the Oracle in hopes you can sway her to your circle, all while your followers denounce her beliefs. Even your court cannot agree, your latest dog included," the bastard peered at Morrow, his smile shrinking into a tight-lipped, smug grin. "Among your followers, none can agree. Some call for blood; others claim I am but an upstart not worth contesting. You have chosen the latter of the two, but I must ask you, what does that say of your leadership? When anyone can approach you and denounce your rule publicly. Who among your kingdom will walk away from this encounter seeing you as anything more than the whipped beast you are, frail in his old age, lost among the shadows he claims to rule," he spread his arms wide and turned fully to face the towering Sith.

"I welcome you to step down from the pedestal you have placed yourself upon. I challenge anyone of your pathetic following to descend from your crumbling pillar and consider the words spoken today. Through might or mind, I leave it upon you all to not shrink away from this open proclamation. In due time, your empire shall burn. The sun has begun to set on what you have built here, whether you wish to accept it or not. You may strike me down, you may claim the likes of the Seer and myself as foolish, but it will not change the oncoming extinction this empire will face. Already, plans have been set into motion. Those among you with foresight know the truth and have begun to consider a new path, one beyond the shadow of a dying Lord and his inept council. I welcome you to stand beside me and the many others preparing to bring ruin to this empire."

Vaulkhar Zambrano motioned to the onlookers with a lazy flick of each wrist. "I look forward to laying siege to Bastion and burning Ravelin to the ground."

Darth Bellum | Irveric Tavlar | Darth Carnifex | Avernus | Ellie Mors | Taeli Raaf
Kascalion Giedfield | Darth Morrow | Imperius | Darth Voyance | Darth Pteron | Seydon of Arda
Darth Voracitos | Darth Immortuos | Lord Venari | Darth Prazutis | Velok Brokentusk | Darth Centax
Darth Kentarch | Telis Taharin-Zambrano | Cara Dorniarn ​

 

[Ellie Mors]

IGNORANCE

She tried to play it nice, tried harder to be the voice of reason, but there was simply no patience left in her to keep to herself any longer. Certainly she'd spoken up to quiet Vaulkhar to prevent him from making a fool of himself any more than he already had, and she'd certainly interjected to denounce the ridiculous fallacy that none of the people present here were Sith by some asinine play of semantics, but her frustration had been largely kept in check. There were only so many times she could stand to hear someone imply she had nothing to provide besides physical satisfaction however - an insinuation that both disgusted and enraged her.

Were these men and women children?

And this blue-tinted, silver-tongued, insolent little cur - her hands balled into fists at the implication that she was some powerless trophy doing as she was told, made worse by the request to remove Vaulkhar from the hall. Did this woman actually believe the words that came out of her mouth, that it was she that was threatened into submission, that it was she that feared Kaine Zambrano? She might have had the emotional intelligence to understand that if she desired to continue to keep her relationship stable that turning the Emperor into a smooth paste against the duracrete floor was ill advised, but there was nothing that kept her from falling too far out of line beyond her desire to keep what was hers.

Repressing the urge to move directly into violence, Braith instead gathered her thoughts as the rest of the room seemed content to shout their opposition to progress of any kind. "You believe I do not possess strength of my own, is that it? No, that can't be right - it sounded far too much like you were claiming that I was given what I have in exchange for sharing a bed with Darth Prazutis ." She said, her expression plainly displaying her discontent, her hate. "That can't be right, though - certainly you, an oracle as you call yourself, must know the reason why he and I are together, no? Or has the force left your eyes and gifted your mouth with the ability to speak only that which you have not seen?"

"If that was too confusing for you, oracle, I am saying you are a fraud. Your visions are non-existent, and if you truly did have the ability to see as those of us who don't go about speaking bald-faced lies then you wouldn't make such an accusation to my face." She hissed. Turning to Vaulkhar now, finding herself aggravated by his strangest brand of optimism, there was no will in the galaxy great enough to keep her from rolling her eyes. "Oh will you just shut up, you conniving petulant man-child. I am sick of these politics you people seem to love engaging in - are you that hungry for someone to push you down into the mud, is that it?"

"What was it you called for?" Braith asked, turning her gaze towards Velok Brokentusk , her words dripping with sarcasm. "Ah yes, a Kaggath - let's make this simple. I will play this game with you two - or with all of your allies, I couldn't care less - after this meeting is adjourned and when it is over I want you both to remember that you wanted to challenge an authority that is greater than either of you, that you purport to be someone I am beneath."

"After all, if the Emperor is so weak, then what challenge am I?" The small woman asked with a hungry grin.

Darth Voyance Darth Carnifex Avernus Darth Immortuos

 

[Darth Centax]

Finally. Someone worth killing. Ellie Mors

The Sith Warrior detached his silver helmet with a hiss of air so she could see his face, the yellow force corrupted eyes and dark red face of the half zeltron looking up at her. Centax was looking up at Braith. Small or not she towered. From the back of the hall the Sith said loud enough for the council and all assembled to hear.

All your allies.

“I accept.” Ellie Mors

The mark he’d taken on oath to the sith code was scarred across his right cheek, as unlike the others he’d not been able to bleed his palms, his hands half taken by the galactic alliance in battles past. Wound stacked upon wound as his Master had. Living the legacy and growing stronger for them. Would she test him as well as the Mandalore he’d fought at her peak, or the Jedi and Sith over the years? From the way Braith stood it was a challenge worth his time to break.

Thoughts and feelings shared openly if she read them. There was no desire to defend anyone he barely knew, or see an empire burn. The powerful had power, if others wanted it that was on THEM to take it. Power was not given. For Centax alone empires, titles, and details were trappings people wore as clothes, but she was strong enough to stand.

Half nodding with more respect than he’d shown so far to most. For one worthy of such. He remained silent again as the others debated. The force spirits less idealistic than Centax looking on, however, were perhaps extremely engaged with this entire meeting, the many personalities, along with the betting pool and imperial might demonstrated all enriched the moment. The wall shifted to his right again, memories to be etched in the stone by the dead.

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

"I accept as well, Ellie Mors . Your illegal challenge warms my heart. What a day, what a day."

 

[Darth Kentarch]

"First of all. There are no allies in a Kaggath. Its one power base versus another. No outside help of any kind." Kentarch said suddenly stepping between Velok Brokentusk and Ellie Mors . "Second there is no functioning Sith Council to preside over such a conflict. "

Kentarch nodded in the direction of Darth Voyance . "It is clear that among the sith there are divisions here. But I would like to hear what Voyance has to say first before you all start ritualistically murdering each other."

 

[Darth Bellum]

Vexen let out a sigh, whether out of amusement or annoyance as the situation continued to unfold. In truth this is precisely what the Lord of Assimilation wanted; to have the wolves among the Sith bare their fangs at one another, ready to tear each other's throats out to assert their dominance. And he had gotten just that - turning the boring meeting into something of interest to the centuries-old Anzati. Words continued to whip the Sith into a frenzy as some began to uplift one another with calls for a new Emperor or Empress to take the place of the Dark Lord, only further fostering the fires of ambition within those present. The boy had done all that Vexen expected and more with his words and would act as an excellent scapegoat as the sparks he had ignited would quickly fan into an inferno. Whether he perished here and now was irrelevant.​

​

What the Dark Lord had failed to do was to strike fear into those who served under him and remind them of their place. By delegating the responsibility of discipline to someone else, he did not convey a message that this was beneath him but created an image that the Dark Lord was not capable of handling a situation himself when it was demanded of him. And this lack of control would only further embolden those among the Sith who despised the Rule of Order; those who envisioned an Empire shaped in their own image. It did not matter where one stood, all had been dragged into the conflict. And through this conflict, the Anzati would ensure that the mighty stood above all.​

​

Vexen's holographic image once more flickered as the Anzati leaned forward, his elbows resting on his legs as he interlocked his fingers and rested his chin atop them, brooding over the situation as it continued to further develop. His gaze fell upon the female Firrerreo who began to speak out once more, the conversation seeming to have struck a nerve. It amused him to hear her words - she spoke boldly of her strength, yet deigned to marry into the Dark Lord's family, which only further elevated the point that she is not as strong as she believes herself to be if the strength of the Dark Lord and his kin were being called into question. If she had the power to rival that of any of the Zambrano's then it made little sense why she would not claim the Empire for herself. Still, he admired the fire in her, as well as the hunger her expression bore - it was one he was all too familiar with and made the Anzati feel something other than intrigue at that very moment.​

​

Kagaath had been called, and the revocation of such a demand that had been put forth would just drive a greater wedge between the Dark Lord and his power. A part of the Anzati wished he was at this assembly in person, so that he may partake in a battle to the death so that he can absorb those he challenged into his Sea of Memories and continue to evolve him. There was no Empire - only prey.​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Ha!"​

​

The boisterous laugh of the Emperor reverberated across the wide chamber, ringing off of every wall. There was scant little that could make the Dark Lord of the Sith genuinely laugh, but the Sith Ladies Ellie Mors and Darth Morrow had struck a chord within the Emperor that brought such rancorous guffaw into existence. His latest wife had proven again what had attracted him towards her, with her firebrand disregard for those who would oppose what she believed in, and the fierceness in which she not only chastized those outlandish instigators but also with her promise to the Emperor that should prove unable to clear the air of these larrikins then she would no longer stand by his side.​

​

It was all quite amusing, truthfully.​

​

"Very good, very good! Such passion... The air is thick with it. The blood pumping in our veins, flushing out bodies with sharp and elucidating heat as anger and hate spread like wildfire. Unchecked, unbalanced... Old wounds bursting at the seams." The Emperor smiled again, leaning forward as his eyes seemed to twinkle in their molten hue. "A single drop of blood and the beasts come out to swarm... But who is the predator, and who is the prey?" Another chuckle, low and raspy in his throat, "We will have to see, now won't we?" He stared at both Vaulkhar and Darth Voyance as he said those words.​

​

The podium containing the Emperor, Shadow Hand, Dark Council, and Triumvirate began to descend down towards the floor. As it did, the Emperor made one final proclamation to the assembled crowd as it did, "This congregation is adjourned, for the Kaggath has begun."​

 

[Emperor Immortuos]

My eyes met Ellie Mors own briefly acknowledging her presence. I looked away with no expression.

The acolytes were already starting to leave. So to was the emperor and his upper echelon.

" Impudence. Brushing issues under a rug called Kaggath is not mending. The masses may forget this day and how it was dealt with or lack there of."

Following the crowds I took my leave.

" I will not. I accept the kaggath."

 

[Cara Dorniarn]

And just like that, the meeting was over.

Cara opened her hands in a gesture to express her thought of, "That's it?" She was none too chary of showing her displeasure with the turn of events. The Kaggath? Something to busy those in need of displaying their prowess. It was a distraction, she felt, from things that should have been their primary focus.

The ruling Sith of the empire would need to address the more regressive beliefs of Darth Voyance and those in her cabal, in time. They didn't seem to hold positions to interrupt the flow of progress yet. But the most pressing matters, at least those of interest to Cara, were the concerns of General Irveric Tavlar and a few words spoken by her preceptor, Darth Morrow .

She cursed the general for leaving so abruptly, yet the weight of his outburst must have laid heavy upon him. She understood his leaving, but now to get in contact with him before he was reprimanded was foremost in mind. What could an engineer playing Sith hope to do? The paltry rank of knight stained her influence with any holding the affluent titles of lord and lady, but there was one she had access to: Lady Morrow.

"They are children who stand against progress, determined to tear down all we have worked to bring together." Morrow's words rang clear in her mind and echoed her own convictions. The Jedi were misguided monks, bent on keeping the galaxy in stagnation. A stagnation not unlike Voyance's ideals, her desire to drag the Sith, and the Empire, back to times of failure and fragmentation.

Cara looked up to the seats of the council, locking her eyes on the pale face of Morrow. This iteration of her master was different than the last Cara knew, with a fire and gusto that burned unfettered in the presence of the Emperor. Explanations for Morrow's disappearance were never heard, and Cara knew better than to pry into a situation she already knew too much about. She rapped her knuckles on the arm of her chair, then settled her gaze on both of her business associates, Telis Taharin-Zambrano and Avernus .

With quick and heavy steps she joined the two, placing both arms behind her as she leaned forward to look down at Avernus. Her "whisper" was audibly strained as she inquired, "What the feth are you doing, Lord Avernus?"

Meanwhile, Aidee was hiding behind Telis's shoulder.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia had been content to observe and take notes for later.

She was not a public speaker, that much she left up to underlings. She was, however, a very good listener.

In this session alone, she had listened to many interesting things, and a few that troubled her. There was one element in particular that caught her attention, one voice that grated against her ears with its audacity. The words it had spoken were treasonous enough in itself, but the man who spoke the words was also not welcome. He had never been part of the Sith Empire, but an enemy since its conception.

Now that enemy stood in their midst and sowed seeds of dissent.

Once, he had been her superior, someone she looked up to. Now, she knew that veneer had been as false as his supposed allegiance with the Sith. He had once been the Pale Assassin. She had since supplanted him within the Assassins. He had once tried to destroy the Library Temple of Krayiss Two, but she had rebuilt it.

She had to wonder, Did the young, red one know who he had listened to? Was he an ally of the traitor? She knew of no ties between them. And what Avernus had said thus far had not yet been tantamount to treason.

While the discussion spread through the Ascendant hall, she threw a glance to Kascalion Giedfield , giving him a mental nudge, a small parsell of telepathic information, before she set her eyes back on the traitor.

Her presence in the Force then started to melt, and her visage began to fade into the background as she rose from her seat and made a brisk walk. She did not take the most direct route, but moved around to cut off and intercept Darth Kentarch should he decide to move for the nearest exit. On her way, other Assassins moved to cover the remaining exits with orders to keep him from escaping, by any means necessary.

She raised her hood to shroud her face, then kept her hands at her abdomen, shrouded under the sleeves of her dark robes.

 

[Kascalion Giedfield]

"Second: there is no functioning Sith Council to preside over such a conflict."

The Devil Lion's gaze, wide and surprised with eyes radiating with newly impassioned gold, shot from the glaringly belligerent Avernus to the source of the inane comment. At first, Kascalion simply saw a dark figure, a Sith who had dared to state such a proclamation in front of the ruling council of the Empire as if in open denial of their very existence.

The nudge from Darth Ophidia , somewhere hidden from his sight, however, made it known that this figure was none other than Darth Kentarch , a man known for his inexcusable revolts against the Sith, most particularly during the Empire's invasion of Moridinae some time prior. There he was, in the defiant flesh, standing between the massive cut in the air that was Velok Brokentusk and the enigmatic Ellie Mors .

Abaddon's eyes, which would appear as distant suns to those below him, were furrowed in frustration and confusion as his right hand stroked his trimmed copper beard. First, he would have to address the comment, to quickly reinforce the standing that the Dark Council possessed over all below them: "No...Council to preside over such an event? Are you not staring upon the entirety of the Dark Council? We may not be the Sith Council of old, of course, but we are functioning as any, if not more so. So if there will be a Kaggath performed this day, rest assured that we shall preside over it. And, on another note..."

Next, Abaddon rose to his feet once again, fists clenched and the corners of his mouth curved into a devilish smirk more at home on an assassin or a mercenary than a Dark Councilor known for his aloofness, "It has come to my attention that you...yes...I know who you are. And I know what you have done, Lord Kentarch. The traitor revealed. Attempting to destroy the Library Temple upon Krayiss Two. Opposing our forces upon Moridinae. Disobeying your Emperor. Betraying what it means to be Sith. You will escape your punishment no longer. Lords and Ladies of the Empire, now that this man's presence has been made aware to us in attendance, I motion for his immediate arrest..for his crimes and public opposition against the Sith Empire. Seize him!"

 

[Darth Centax]

With the council departing, one final acceptance of the Kaggath from Darth Immortuos and the acolytes leaving. The emperor declared the Kaggath commenced which brought another half nod toward Darth Carnifex .

“Good hunting.” He looked between Velok Brokentusk and Ellie Mors the two that yet remained. The prize of killing Ellie Mors was to be HIS, not THEIRS, he would suffer no one to take his glory. A vanity still not yet crushed out of him even when coruscant burned. Replacing his helmet to snap it into place, all seemed well. The weaker scattered in the fear of what conflict was as always, while the strong reaped the benefits, his task done.

Until Centax also turned to leave to prepare for the battle ahead. Now at the start of the Kaggath his own route was blocked. Not by Darth Ophidia who was far from Centax’s position at the back of the hall. There was a grating inside the pit of his stomach at the delay. He looked directly at the nameless soon to be dave-like assassin until they moved, or the assassin felt so much crushing pain in their temples they would collapse to their knees then move. Either way, Centax had a Kaggath to appreciate and would suffer no delay or chance this distraction was Ellie Mors 's first move. What had been moving within the wall moved again only much faster now, a certain dark and cold emanation coming from within, two shifting shapes could be seen as they moved through the stone at the rear of the room.

A handy talent his assassin had, one he was surprised more didn’t use. Great cold and dark emanated from the shape's presence. More easily visible in their rapid motion, and perhaps enough to move any fools from the door in the wake of that shadowy impact to come.

Regardless of how it happened, either through head pain, fear, a shadowy shove to get the hell out of the way, or simple common sense from the nameless door guarding assassins, Centax exited. The two shadows screeched their departure soon after, throwing the door back open again with almost as much force as he'd entered with. The maintenance technicians twice cursed by Centax’s use of doors today. Though it could easily be closed again after him, if perhaps more carefully so to preserve what was left of its hinges or supports.

Down the steps he trod, the force wraiths on the lookout for the obvious assassination attempts that the Kaggath would present on his way out. Though that particular rite would last as long as it would last, and at least perhaps provide an interesting distraction to destroy a worthy foe. Plague, AI, Biodroids, Criminals, Fanatics, Militia, Anti slave slavers? So many tools to choose from. He looked at his crushgaunts, crushing a fist, something simple or something new?

Options. The day was already looking up.
Fin for Centax

OOC:

Spoiler

Fantastic thread, thank you to every single poster for a hell of a ride.

 

[Velok Brokentusk]

Velok adjourned likewise, as this place was starting to feel a little dense with assassins. He did, however, sling Darth Voracitos ' steak over his shoulder on the way out.

Who was going to be fighting whom was a bit vague at the moment, but at least there'd be people to fight.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

You could get the concealment process down right, that seat has made you slow. Kentarch thought to himself while his eyes shifted in the direction of the seat of the Pyramid of Galactic Influence. His facial features were always concealed by the hood of his cloak. Many thought he gave him a false sense of mystery. But the reality was it concealed his eye movements and micro-expressions. Kentarch was keeping an eye on Darth Ophidia the whole time.

As the room began to clear and the members of the congregation began to leave. Kentarch turned and moved with the crowd. Then suddenly Kascalion Giedfield called him out. His frustration was clear. But it seemed as if anyone in power in this Imperial state was easily spurned, especially when it came to comments of the Dark Council. It was a clear distraction while the second Pale Assassin would likely try and cut him off at the exit.

The eyes of almost everyone were on him now. He could sense it. Stopping in his footsteps he turned back to look upon The Devil Lion. "I assumed that you would have a shred of decency to allow me to come here under Parlay. Or is that not the case? Kentarch said plainly. "Moridinae, Mandalore, others yes I stood against the empire. I destroyed the temple of Krayiss Two. I did not attempt to. And you have nothing to show for saving it, aside from the ugly monstrosity you built in its place. I never knelt before the false god-king emperor, so no, I betrayed no one and nothing."

Chaos erupted behind him as Darth Centax made his exit. Kentarch was unsure about what had happened exactly but he used the brief distraction to exit. His signature in the force melted away and somewhere his indiscrete form slipped in with the crowd. He knew every assassin in the city would be after him.

 

[Lord Venari]

And so by the Emperor's word the Kaggath was made a reality. Venari held his ground as Sith both high and low in the pecking order took their leave. The summit was short, and in the Sith Lord's opinion the Emperor could have handled it more thoroughly, but a decision had been made & the cracks in the Empire's foundation had revealed themselves. It was time to correct patch those damages. Weakness would be expelled and strength left to prosper.

Venari remained in the chamber; the Kaggath would likely sprout its roots here and now. Subfactions would form as various parties orbited each other. Making plans, preparing their first moves. What shape would the old tradition take, the Sith Lord did not know but information made the greatest currency so he'd wait and watch.