Junction The Divide | TSC & TSO & ME Junction of Carratos, Ank Kit'aar, Sarka | IC

[Aether Verd]

Wearing:
Armor - Darksaber - Mask of Mandalore
.​

ABOARD THE TYRANNY

The future began now.

After the speeches were made to Mandalorian and Sith alike, the Iron, the Titan, and the Dread stepped within the appointed space. And frankly, Aether was grateful for the difference in scenery. It was a far more personal room, dulling the overlapping voices to negligible levels outside. Before taking his seat, his gaze moved briefly to his Dral'buir.

It had been years since he had seen her like this. Years since he had witnessed her hand in another's, or the small gestures of pulling out a seat for her. The sight was the definition of nostalgic for the Mandalorian. It reminded him of those years spent on the edge of creation, watching as his sire treated the Empress the same way the Titan did now. Were the circumstances any less important? He might have allowed the smile which formed as they interacted to last longer. Alas, it perished as soon as his Voice began to speak.

Gratitude was extended. Introductions were made. And before he descended into his seat, his Bright Mother's gaze found his own. And with it, her wintry touch on his psyche. Normally, her words were a source of comfort. Now they were laced with a guilt-trip so heavy that it threatened to weigh the Tyranny into orbit.

<<OhfortheloveofKadI'llcomebyafterthismeeting.>>

It was very seldom that, at least when it came to familial affairs, Srina didn't get what she wanted. And per the usual, she would - at the very least - see her godson after the gathering. Lest she wither and the Sith Order be without its monarch. It was then that Aether found his seat and turned his head towards the Ambassador. And in their private comm, he answered: "Yes. Yes she does. It's how she shows affection." There was a pause and he added: "You must ask her to bake something for you when this is all over. Her confections are to die for."

His tone was earnest, as if there wasn't a graveyard of devastated ovens that had been tormented by her attempts at preheating to 350.

Alas, they could not tarry on the lighter side of things. Not when the fate of entire worlds hung in the balance. In but one breath, the godmother was absent and the Dread Empress had arrived once more. It felt as though the very air shifted and all who could hear listened. Her words, as ever, were a paintbrush. And with them, she created a masterpiece that was clear and to the point. It was refreshing, dealing with those infamous for their absolutes. Treating with the Light felt like dancing across a minefield just to get to the point.

Yet here? The point was made. Aether leaned forward. His fingers formed a bridge just beneath his chin as he hearkened to the words of the Dread. His expression was stone for the whole of her thoughts. It was only when the Titan spoke - amidst the din of metal being revealed - that his eyebrows rose slightly. Then, even Gerwald shared his mind, hearkening back to the nation his sire had once built.

The irony was not lost upon the son, who now sat before the comrades of his father. They were living proof that their words were true and possible. Living proof that a variety of creeds could work together and not only survive, but thrive. The Mand'alor carefully considered it all before answering.

"You have my gratitude for addressing the Wookie in the Room directly. And as you ask for the same consideration, I will share with you what I shared with the High Republic during our first meeting. Mandalore is not so narrow-sighted that she cannot tell the difference between states. Aye, there may be similarities. Aye, there may even be common faces. Yet she is wise and mighty enough to understand that Ten and Eleven are not the same."

"And just as you, Empress, are who you are. So too am I. So too shall I do what is required to ensure the future of my people. And as the Diarchy, and Imperials, and Jedi alike have discovered, the cross awaits those who threaten that tomorrow. In a perfect world, such measures would not be necessary. Yet we are War. It is our god, our flesh, our bone, and blood. We understand that restraint is far from weakness. And we too understand the folly of blind trust."

As the Diarchy had learned the hard way...restraint is the ultimate form of mercy.

"Thus being said, I do not imagine a world where every soul within my Empire suddenly trusts every soul within yours. Nor do I have any illusions that our meeting today will encourage all to...hold hands. Now, as for your concern...My people are accustomed to the standing agreement between our nations. Your children are in no danger."

He understood her meaning. He knew she would understand his.

But what of the Titan's?

Aether's visor moved to Mercy. He first regarded the trove of precious metals with a nod before addressing her directly. "None." he began. "Our distant cousins have made a home elsewhere. Our other clients simply pay what is demanded for our services. None have offered what you do now. If the Covenant wish to answer the blood spilled on Mandalore with this ransom, then I will consider it. I do have one request of the Order, if possible, to add."

"Information."

"As the saying goes, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And the mistakes which led my predecessor to seeing Mandalore burn on her watch? I would have it so those footsteps are never tread again, not by me, not by those who come after. Only, I do not know what all had led the Second Mandalorian Empire to falter so spectacularly. The records from that era are murky at best. Thus, my request is understanding. If the Eleventh possesses any intel on why the Tenth cast aside its alliance with Mandalore, I request a report. Iron and Information, that will satisfy me."

The Mand'alor then looked upon his comrades briefly. To the new generation and the old. His words were intentional regarding satisfaction - for they were an invitation to share their perspective. As his godmother always told him, let the past die, and if you cannot...kill it. Was this enough to move forward?

His gaze then moved to the Dread Wolf.

"From there, terms."

Srina Talon | Mercy | Quinn Varanin | Arris Windrun | Lirka Ka | Mia Monroe | Lily Rhodes | Adelle Bastiel | Ivalyn Yvarro | Kurayami Bloodborn | Astra Sadow | Leontis Antalis | Zeptepi Zambrano | Gerwald Lechner | Nagual | Varin Mortifer | CT-312 | Darth Carnifex | Darth Prazutis | Siv Kryze | Amelia von Sorenn | Darth Reign | Veyla Krinn | Dral-Kar'ta Saandyr | Adonis Angelis IV | Nephthys Nardithi-Verd + Open

 

[Lirka Ka]

OBJ I - War Council
TAGS - Srina Talon Gerwald Lechner Quinn Varanin Taeli Raaf Aether Verd Mia Monroe Adelle Bastiel Arris Windrun Mercy

Sometimes, it paid to be an observer. Paranoia aflame with so many unfamiliar and powerful faces about Lirka soothed her erratic nerves in the best way she knew - listening to those who sat on their Thrones, and running the calculus of how this talk of fledgling alliance benefited her own machinations.

Of course, it certainly helped plenty with all this talk of the Moridinae Project. It was a warm, fuzzy sort of nostalgia. A time to look back and appreciate herself in her younger years. Lirka was always thankful for her blank-faced helm to hide her emotions - she was certainly not in good company to fondly recall old exploits. Even if she did sit in the rather uniquely privileged and pathetic seat of having much of her dark deeds overshadowed by the Dyarchs’ own massacres.

But, that was 50 years ago. Pieces had moved on the board since then, it was a piece of history to most rather than that artful brushstroke of systemic eradication that Lirka’s pride had sought to place upon the Galaxy.

Lirka pulled herself back to the present rather than fondly recalling her youthful years. Allowing herself to more intently follow the words of the leaders as they spoke - even those that perplexed the Once-Sephi. Certainly the idea of offering up a hefty bounty of raw riches and ever valuable iron was nothing the sort of politicking that oft crossed her mind.

Ultimately, the monstrous metal brute kept her machinations within her own sniveling little bubble. Skulking beneath the eyes of giants whenever she could - to be in the presence of so many was a rare sort of outing that allowed analysis. Pleasantly she was surprised by how swimmingly everything was going. As of yet, there was not anything to be concerned about for her machinations.

There had yet to be much for the creature to add of any real value - without proper policy declared there were no mighty Ayes nor Nays to let loose. Though, with the request from Aether Verd for information, the cool droning of her vocalizer came to life.

“Far from a lofty request. The information you seek is attainable - if you so wish, I could seek to have the information acquired, complied, and a Datapad presented with haste.”

By all reasonable metrics, Lirka should’ve known exactly why she dissected a planet. She had never much bothered with the why, the broken bloodlines and mountains of bones had only really been a stepping stone to her. Atrocity committed for far more selfish reasons than her peers.

​

​

 

[Arris Windrun]

Mercy | Aether Verd | Srina Talon | Quinn Varanin | Adelle Bastiel | Lirka Ka | Taeli Raaf | Mia Monroe | Gerwald Lechner​

There was so much going on.

Quinn was positively playful, and her not-so-coy implication lived rent-free in the cyborg's skull. She glanced in the Queen's direction, who sat next to her, of all places. Her offer to Arris, 'don't hesitate to ask,' only reminded her how surreal all this was.

Certainly not her first meeting. The Covenant had plenty of those. Even the Conclave on Coruscant, following their conquest of the Core. Though never was diplomacy the matter of course. That was new to her.

Thankfully, her bodily sensations were dull; otherwise, she might've reacted more noticeably when Quinn squeezed her leg.

A representative from Mandalore spoke next.

So many proper nouns and titles. Her eyes flicked to Mand'alor alone during the introductions. Until the candy fiasco, anyway, which earned an inquisitive brow. 'Huh, what?' She looked at Srina next.

The Blackwall Empress had plenty to say. Obviously, the fact that Eshan was a victim of similar treatment stood out. Arris wondered: was that meant to be empathy, or a reminder that revanchism is often born of hypocrisy? All this airing of dirty laundry felt positively out of place for the Sith, however. Arris gave Mercy a look - wondering exactly what the play was. Because surely, Mercy wouldn't be so stupid as to--

Why did she have to open her mouth as soon as Arris thought that?

I will assume responsibility for the blood debt between our people. I will personally pay a Core's ransom of gold, silver and most important of all... the ancient iron of your people conquered from the filth infesting my backyard.

Well. That seemed smart. The Sith Covenant was already sending beskar to Mandalore anyway.

She noticed a few of the soldiers picking the bodies apart. "Those aren't trophies," she interjected. "Send the beskar to Mandalore! Put my name on the cargo." Then, muttered. "They'll want their property back..."

Then another spoke. This was the one Lily referred to as the Dread Wolf. He seemed reasonable for that epithet. Then again, what the hell kind of reputation was Dark Horse? Maybe they could bond over the nicknames. Arris snickered quietly, enough that Mercy or Quinn, or maybe anyone else near might hear.

Mand'alor was up again. Arris was glad he and Mercy continued to get along. Though they seemed to share an affinity for cutting through the banthashit. But she was confused when he asked for information. It took her a second to realize he meant that as a request for the Order. Arris knew nothing about 'tenth' or 'eleventh' in this context. Sith history was a source of ignorance rather than interest to her.

Besides. She wasn't alive. She didn't give a--

Lirka Ka

'That's right!'

Arris finally remembered where she'd seen her before. On some world she had already forgotten. Fighting some battle that no longer had any context or 'why' attached. That was when she met Varin, too. Funny.

All in all, the terms seemed simple enough, and far from her problem to solve.

Arris leaned in towards Mercy and spoke quietly.

"I don't think anyone here wants to waste any time." She suggested.

Honestly, though, Arris was left wondering what the hell she needed to be there for.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Location: Onboard the Tyranny, Conference Room
Sith Order Representatives: Srina Talon Gerwald Lechner Quinn Varanin Lirka Ka
Sith Covenant Representatives: Mercy Arris Windrun
Mandalorian Empire Representatives: Aether Verd Mia Monroe Adelle Bastiel
Others: Ivalyn Yvarro Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis
​

How interesting that the first order of business was related to the Mandalorians. She supposed it was the sword hanging over any sort of forward progress in discussions, the proverbial gundark in the room. Neither Srina or Mercy had taken part in that orchestrated campaign of eradication and erasure that the Tenth Sith Empire under Carnifex had unleashed, but it was interesting that both were taking some responsibility for what had occurred. Srina offered, in her way, a conciliatory stance with her own concerns. The suspicions were deep among both cultures towards the other, for strong historical reasons, but it was true that such animosity could be and needed to be set aside. She was a prime example of this, considering how her family felt about Mandalorians.

Here she sat, patiently and politely, when there was a deep internal desire to continue the work for what had been stolen from her and her family. But... that was what had directly led to such animosities in the first place. She could always indulge that deep hatred on the Mandalorians that followed the Iron Covenant regardless. The Empress of the Core offered a far more direct recompensation, offering resources and beskar recovered from the recent attack on Humbarine to the Mand'alor, to begin covering the supposed debt owed to the Mandalorians for the devastation visited upon their worlds and culture.

It was a powerful gesture, and certainly underlined the seriousness that both Empresses were placing on these talks. Gerwald offered his thoughts as only a warrior could, but she was more interested in what the Mand'alor himself would say. He did not disappoint.

His request and words were pragmatic, born of the iron that he had claimed as his title. He had demonstrated quite clearly what would happen to those that threatened or betrayed his nation. The images of the Diarchy and Imperials on the crosses had gone far and wide, and it had reminded her of the sort of treatment that Ra Vizsla might have shown to his enemies. It was a show of strength and a warning, and the Mand'alor's words demonstrated both here.

Luckily for him, the information he desired was nearer at hand than he might have suspected. Lirka offered to compile the report for him, but she sensed how she could add to the discussions to push them forward. After all, she knew her oldest ally's mind better than most.

"Revenge and opportunity, Mand'alor," she would say quietly, but her words would carry around the table. "The Infernal and the Australis clan had led your people into conflict with the other galactic powers, the Silver Jedi and the Confederacy, and Darth Carnifex saw an opportunity to address an old wound. He remembered what the Mandalorians had once done to Dromund Kaas, the asteroid drop that devastated the world for over a generation. Their distraction, their weakness, was a sign to him that the time to strike was now. It certainly did not help that the Australis clan had been covertly aiding the Tenth Empire's enemies."

Operation: Hammerfall had commenced, and as Lirka knew as she oversaw what the Sith had called Moridinae, they had truly brought their wrath down upon the Mandalore system.

She continued. "It was originally planned to be an occupation and to strip resources from the planet, but then Australis and his allies tried to retake the planet. They failed, and their failure led directly to even harsher measures being unleashed. Councilor Ka might be able to elaborate more in the report you desire, as they oversaw the system during the Tenth's control of Mandalore. But if you want the motives, they tie quite neatly into what this discussion has already been. The circle of revenge for past transgressions, something even I have partaken in. The Australis clan stole something extremely precious from me, and I made it a duty to wipe them out root and stem in any manner I could. I will admit some personal satisfaction in how their clan leader was dealt with."

She would gently tap her fingers in a rhythm on her chair as she spoke.

"Regardless, as I doubt you plan to engage in a three-front war or allow your culture to become warped as it did under the Infernal and Australis, Mand'alor, I don't believe you will show the same signs of weakness that prompted the breaking of the alliance. And as Empress Talon can attest, times have changed. Relations have changed. Power structures have changed. Debts are being paid, and old wounds have been addressed and readdressed."

She would look to the Empresses.

"But I'm sure that we, as the Sith Order, can fulfill that request in totality. Darth Carnifex keeps rather extensive records of his exploits and his thought processes, and he can never refuse a request from Empress Talon or myself if we ask... properly. You'll have all the information you require, Mand'alor."