The Finale of Seem

[Caulder Dune]

VALLEY OF THE JEDI
TRIUMVIRATE CITADEL

While the city of Olomondo was rebuilt and repopulated by immigrants seeking promised incentives, a separate project took place many miles away. The Sith Triumvirate's center of operations was still very much under construction, but even only partially completed, the structure still imparted a sense of ill omen as it loomed over the Valley of the Jedi. It might have been the Sith-inclined architecture that was the source of the ominousness. Or perhaps it was the Dark Side Adepts working tirelessly in the basement levels to warp the Force Nexus present here to the Dark Side.

Though the citadel was still under construction, its main atrium was finished and serviceable. Three obsidian thrones, though one of them was noticeably larger than the other two on account of Orcus' species. It was here that the Triumvirs would hold open court, addressing the needs of whatever constituents or foreign courtiers presented to them. The whole room was constructed not unlike the Sith Empire's throne room on Dromund Kaas. The three thrones were elevated, a wide flight of stairs leading up to them. Orcus and Carach enjoyed the aesthetic, but it gave Adekos uncomfortable flashbacks. Still, it was two against one.

The room was cavernous, lined with three large pillars on either side, into which were sculpted in the visages of ancient Sith Lords. The agreeable ones, anyway. There was Traya, Sidious... They were towards the front of the room, on either side of the entrance. Vectivus was the closest to the three thrones, directly across from Lumiya. Plagueis held the center, and across from him was Belia Darzu. Sith Lords everyone could approve of. Maybe they would adorn some hallways with the busts of Moridin, Apparatus, Decimus, and their like. Sith of relatively recent history and note. Then again, it was easy to mistake that kind of acknowledgement for reverence, so maybe they wouldn't.

Today was a slow one in terms of court affairs. This was, after all, fairly early on in the game of the Sith Triumvirate. There were only a handful of individuals on the docket for today and they were best described as low priority. Darth Adekos and [member="Darth Carach"] were just finishing up one now- [member="Darth Orcus"] was elsewhere in the citadel taking care of private business, his seat conspicuously empty.

"As we discussed previously, Minister, whatever dispute you have with the Droghedans is not of relevance to us. " Adekos said, drumming his fingers on the arm rest. "Although you can rest assured if any conflict becomes too disruptive to the security we will be forced to intervene without preference to either side."

The Minister from Pesmenben IV bowed respectfully and opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off when Darth Adekos waved him out. "That will be all for today, Minister."

Frowning in aggravation, the Minister scuttled out. "Politics as usual." Adekos sighed. "Who is next here?"

A Stormtrooper with a red pauldron posted by the door consulted a datapad. "One Mr. [member="Janus"], sir."

"Gee, why does that name sound familiar?" Adekos sniggered. "Go ahead, send him in."

The formidable doors creaked back open to allow the visitor entrance.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

VALLEY OF THE JEDI
TRIUMVIRATE CITADEL
[member="Darth Adekos"] | [member="Janus"]

Fingers tapped against the obsidian stone of his seat. It wasn’t an entirely comfortable arrangement, but contrary to regular chairs… he didn’t believe the ruling seat(s) should be comfortable. Getting too comfortable dulled your edge, it made you forget and that was one of the things a Sith Lord could not afford.

“Their conflict is useful for now.” Carach placated calmly after Adekos’ comment. “It puts their attention against each other, instead of us.”

If these nations would be less self-centered and more focused on the ‘Greater Good’ of the region, well, maybe Ruusan wouldn’t have fallen as easily as it had.

With the other regions falling in line fairly quickly.

Each and every one of them hoping that quick compliance would provide them a favorable position within the Empire the Triumvirate was forging. Not entirely, untrue either, though not for the reasons they thought. Some of them were given positions of favor, if only to keep the others guessing.

Keep them currying for favor, scheming and politicking against each other.

“Mister Janus?” The question was asked soon after. “And who might that be?”

The Stormtrooper looked at his datapad again.

“A crime lord wishing to do business with the Triumvirate, my Lord.”

Carach frowned, but didn’t reply after that. Instead he opted to wait it out for now.

 

[Rhodes]

Valley of the Jedi​

Triumvirate Citadel​

[member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Carach"]​

​

A man would enter the room flanked by a small squad of four heavily armored bodyguards. He wore a very expensive-looking black suit lined with gold along the edges, while the guards were presented in high-tech looking heavy combat armor. He had a watch around his wrist made of some sort of valuable metal that gleamed like the suns of Tatooine, reflecting the little light that shone in the dim-lit room. His lapel pin was that of a red cross closely resembling that of the Templars, the symbol of the Consortium.​

​

However, his most distinctive feature was that he wore a white mask over his face. It concealed his identity so that none of the Sith Lords would truly know his identity. If any of them tried to penetrate the mask with the force they would be met with a feeling of overwhelming blackness. It wasn't the type of blackness that typically dominated the Dark Side of the Force. No, this was something else. It was the kind of blackness that was compared to that of a black hole. It was nothing at all, an eerie gap boring through the fabric of existence.​

​

It was the feeling of Oblivion.​

​

The masked man walked to the center of the room, stopping to turn and face the Triumvirate before him (or at least two thirds of it). His bodyguards would stop with him, their weapons held across their bodies and pointed towards the ground. After a moment, the mysterious man would begin to speak. His voice would be uncannily omnipresent, seeming to come from every angle across the Citadel. He spoke with a tone of authority in his voice, the tone of a well-versed leader and public speaker. "Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Janus, Lord of the Black Sun and CEO of the Paladin Consortium. I am here today to discuss a potential bargain between my organization and yours. I recognize that you are a rising power of the galaxy, but you cannot hope to face the might of the your many potential enemies alone. The Consortium can provide the help you need. There is something in particular I am after as well, something you possess. I am after the Gauntlet of Kressh the Younger." He would let his last words hang in the air, waiting for the Lords to process them. He wondered how Adekos would react to the statement. Would he be surprised Janus knew of the gauntlet and its owner, or would he remain neutral?​

 

[Caulder Dune]

Adekos was completely silent for a few moments. The omnipresent voice gimmick had been more taxing on his patience than it should have been, but fortunately the nature of Janus' offer kept his attention. He slowly turned his head to look at [member="Darth Carach"]. If his face were at all visible, someone might have seen the beginnings of a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. Amusement. Here they were, expecting this was going to be official business, and all this fellow really wanted was an artifact.

Hearing out a criminal cartel was something Darth Adekos only did because he was in a good mood. Now this man wanted to haggle over an immensely powerful artifact, the like of which could never be replicated in a million years of galactic history. Well, despite the man's silly mask and presumptuous tone, Adekos had not fallen out of his good mood yet. Whatever Mr. [member="Janus"] had to offer was at least worth hearing. The Black Sun Syndicate had once been a formidable force in the galaxy. If this man was the 'Lord' of it, who knew what stockpiled riches he had?

"And here I had been looking forward to a long and fulfilling partnership, but you just want something from me." Adekos replied, shifting in his seat to sit more upright and less comfortably. He preferred an office over throne rooms, but this was just how it needed to be done. "The Gauntlet contains powers mortal men such as ourselves could only imagine in our wildest dreams. I expect you have prepared a compelling argument as to why I should trade it to you instead of... Well, anyone else."

Carach, the man sitting directly to his left, was sitting on the sum of Darth Plagueis' deepest delving into the Force: all of the Muun's raw research into the art of Midichlorian Manipulation not contained in either the Telos Holocron or his text The Science of Creating Life. It was a lost art that was, practically speaking, impossible to learn in a single lifetime without Plagueis' direct notes to consult. And yet there was still nothing in Carach's possession that would compel Adekos to give him the Gauntlet.

"You have my attention, Mr. Janus. Please don't waste it."

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Carach"]​

​

Janus nodded to himself, he had the attention of at least one of the Triumvirate members. Either way, Adekos was really his target audience at the moment. Now he had to convince him to relinquish the gauntlet, a difficult task no doubt. But if there was anyone that could convince a Sith Lord to give up one of his toys, it was another Sith Lord who also liked nice toys. Enter: Janus.​

​

"Well, what is a fulfilling partnership without one party wanting something from the other? You have something I want, I have many things you may also want. The difference between our partnership, and say the partnership between you and Mr. Carach here, is that I am announcing my ulterior motive to you here and now instead of holding a secret agenda as to what I want to gain from you. A different manner of perspective is all."​

​

The masked man knew he was getting dangerously close to angering one or both of the Sith Lords with his imbedded message that their partnership was based off of the fact that they each wanted something from the other. However, it would serve to drive his point home about the rationale of announcing his request. Better to bring up your motives sooner than later in situations like these.​

​

"I see you label me as a crime lord. I will not deny this, but know that I am not so one-sided. While the Black Sun Syndicate and Triad are both criminal organizations, the Paladin Consortium is something else entirely. We are a Private Military Contractor. We hire out mercenaries, bodyguards, escorts, and other such characters to assist organizations and individuals like yourself. Our operatives are top-of-the-line, and professionalism is always guaranteed."​

​

Janus would let his bit on the Consortium sit in the air for several moments before continuing.​

​

"Of course, I do not know what you might want from me in return. Mercenaries? Check. Powerful force artifacts that you might desire? Absolutely. Pirate raids on enemy assets? Indeed. Money and resources? Undoubtedly. Tell me, Darth Adekos, what do you want from me?​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Darth Adekos"] | [member="Janus"]

His elbow leaned against the seat’s arm, his chin leaned against his fingertips and his impatience was leaning heavily against his reason.

A lot of leaning was involved.

But at the end of the day this was Adekos’ show and apparently his friend was amused enough to let Janus give him an offer. An eyebrow perked up, then, when the crime lord made an assumption about the partnership Adekos and him shared. It wasn’t really an angry eyebrow or an amused one, in fact it might not have any emotion attached to it.

Perhaps it was just surprise at the assumption.

A bold move that missed to hit its point home, because the assumption was dead wrong.

Adekos, Orcus and him had known each other for years now. A lot of organizations, projects and corporations had their touch on them: their partnership had long since eclipsed any form of ‘shady ulterior motives hidden in the shadows’, they knew each other and more importantly knew what to expect from each other.

There was even a certain level of trust.

Sure, said trust laid in the realization that you could trust upon dishonest men to be dishonest, and that you really needed to watch for the honest ones, but what more did you need from your fellow Sith?

Yet, Darth Carach kept his silence.

This was still Adekos’ game. It would have been rude and uncivilized to meddle right in the middle of it.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Janus"]

Darth Adekos snorted audibly. "Let's not make any crass assumptions." For all the pomp and circumstance, the mysterious Janus evidently knew precious little. That was good, it meant the Triumvirate's enemies and the galaxy in general did not or could not understand that what was happening here would be transcending what usually mired Sith factions down. Better to keep them all guessing.

"I do not intend to sound dismissive, Mr. Janus," Politeness cost nothing. "But I do not have an explicit need for anything you've just offered."

Mercenaries? Not only did Adekos have it in his to hire his own, but... Now he had Stormtroopers. [member="Darth Orcus"] also had at his disposal legions of Herglics in power armor. Herglics. In power armor. There was just no obtaining something of such lethality from any other species, power armor or not. Powerful artifacts? He had the Gauntlet of Kressh and several holocrons that explored the murky depths of his heart in great detail. What more could he need in that department? Adekos was not as impulsive in his hoarding as other Sith Lords. Pirate raids were a novel instrument of war, but who were they at war with? Money and resources? As if Adekos had ever been starved for either after joining the ranks of the Tion Hegemony.

"Pray tell, will any of those powerful Force artifacts protect me from all physical harm as long as I wear it? And allow me to hurl destructive blasts at my enemies on a whim?"

Adekos leaned back into his chair. "If the answer is no, I will unfortunately have to say that we are done here. Unless you would like to discuss more reasonable compensation to conduct pirate raids on the Silver Sanctum Coalition."

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Carach"]​

​

Janus shrugged. If these men didn't want to acknowledge what was the truth, then the masked man wouldn't move to halt their denial. It wouldn't hurt him when they turned on one another in the end.​

​

He would raise an amused eyebrow as Adekos dismissed his offer so easily. He assumed so much. Just because he might not have heard of Janus before this day didn't mean he was without his resources. It didn't mean he couldn't bring anything worthwhile to the table. No, it just meant the man was operating in the shadows and keeping his cards to his chest. Adekos sarcastically asked if Janus's artifact could match the gauntlet's abilities. Little did he know, indeed it could.​

​

"I cannot deny I am hurt by your lack of faith. Can my artifact allow you to hurl blasts of power at your enemies? Yes, and much more. Can it protect you from all harm? No it cannot. But who has need of such protection that isn't even all-inclusive when you could simply be immortal? I possess a book, it is called the Mongrel Grimoire. Like me, it is not well-known but much more powerful than you are lead to believe. I destroyed the page that can lead you to immortality, but I am willing to give you this information in this particular circumstance." He would let his words hang in the air. Would Adekos be interested in the book's great power, or would he just push it to the side in an act of spite?​

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Janus"]

When he could be immortal? That sounded... Interesting. Adekos had always been thinking towards the future, but he tended to avoid the topic of his inevitably demise. He mostly just wrote it off- his spirit would be too strong to be sucked into the void or he'd pay some cultist to make sure he stayed bound to this plane of existence. Then from there he would bind himself to a droid or something. It was very much a work in progress. Frankly, Adekos believed he still had many years ahead of him and that death in combat was a far flung possibility. Members of his family had lived to be over a hundred and ten on their own, not to mention the added longevity the Dark Side of the Force would give him. Well, it wouldn't be pretty longevity, but it was longevity.

He'd also need to keep doing those math puzzles, which he was convinced would keep him from getting senile.

Of course, resurrecting himself every time he died a la Vornskr was terribly passé. He suspected that was what Janus meant. That wasn't immortality, that was just rectifying death. To prevent is better than to cure, and the Gauntlet was all about prevention. However, Adekos was not willing to rule out the possibility he was wrong in that assumption. "Interesting. If you will excuse me, I will need a moment to consult with an expert of mine. He possesses intimate knowledge of all things arcane, and I do believe this Mongrel Grimoire is one of them."

Without missing a beat, Adekos turned to look at Carach. "Carach, do you know anything about this Grimoire and the alleged path to immortality it contains?"

Adekos was quite sure that this was a moot line of questioning. As it happened, Darth Adekos was among the majority of Sith Lords and Ladies who were not capable of utilizing Sith Magic. He preferred more scientific disciplines of Force utilization. The occult was best left to other individuals.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Darth Adekos"] | [member="Janus"]

For a moment Darth Carach was simply silent. He studied Janus, but his expression was specifically neutral. It was the kind of neutrality that came from careful years of study and crafting, and it signified that there were a lot of feelings currently behind that expression.

But it would not have been diplomatic to express them in public.

“This is the first time I have heard of a ‘Mongrel Grimoire’.” the Triumvir finally responded carefully, while picking through memories that were not quite his and musing about their meaning.

“The Mongrel Altar is a different subject, of course.”

A long time ago a certain Sith had taken over a corporation. Said corporation had been building a certain vault ship. Said vault ship had held the ‘booty’ and plunder of a different kind of hoarder. One of the items was a datacron on the Mongrel Altar, Wyrmuk the Undying and scrolls hidden within bloody slurry.

Accursed things, really.

There was an expression of distaste forming, breaking through the neutrality.

“Immortality is not the same as resurrection, lad.” Finally addressing the crime lord himself. “You lose something of yourself every time you do it, until at the very end your essence is this pieced-together amalgamation, which only needs a single tug to be dissolved completely.”

The Sith Lord sniffed, before leaning back against his seat.

“Hopeless patchwork and easily undone. Not something you would be interested in, Adekos.”

And with that done his expression slipped back into boredom.

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Carach"]​

​

A small smile would play across the face of the Lord of the Black Sun. Judging from the way he had spoken, Adekos was at least slightly interested in the prospect of immortality. Of course there was yet a long ways to go in their bargain if he wanted the gauntlet, but he was at least making progress. The Triumvir's interest in the subject of eternal life opened the doors to a few more offers, but Janus would have to play his cards wisely.​

​

"Yes, Mr. Carach. The Mongrel Scrolls are indeed what I speak of. I personally bound them into a book for ease of learning their contents, but you have an idea of what the book contains I'm sure. Abilities of the Force and spells of the Ancient Sith that are known by few and taught by less than a handful throughout the galaxy. Quite a prize indeed."​

​

Now, Janus would have to see if Adekos was interested in this form of immortality. Indeed, it was the action of resurrecting one's self after they had died. Janus still saw it as immortality, though part of the user died a little inside with each use. Maybe he could come up with a solution that would fit Adekos's needs all the same.​

​

"So, Lord Adekos, what do you say to my proposition? If you find my idea of immortality too risky, there are other ways you could achieve such an effect. Ways that would keep both your soul and your mind intact while still keeping you undying. Perhaps this might interest you more?"​

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

A being of immense proportions emerged from a large side entrance just behind the three thrones. Noseless, blubberous and gregarious, the Herglic Sith swept into the room like a cool ocean breeze: refreshing, but fishy. He wore a blue three piece suit and seated himself in the biggest of the thrones with an air of casual authority.

"Ah! And you must be the Black Sun leader. I trust my colleagues have given you a warm welcome?" He flashed an enormous, toothy grin. "We will have to check our pockets when you leave. Hauum." A chuckle shook his belly. "Now... What's this about immortality? Always a topic of interest, especially for those of us who've already had the displeasure of dying."

[member="Janus"] [member="Darth Adekos"] [member="Darth Carach"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Darth Orcus"] | [member="Janus"]

"Thank you, Carach." Adekos said, then returned his attention to the mask called Janus. "So, I am faced with two options in my sudden quest for immortality. I can devote myself to years and years of rigorous study to master the volatile, unreliable, self-destructive art of transfer essence. Provided I, of course, exchange the most powerful gauntlet in the known galaxy for a sheet of paper with the prerequisite information on it."

Now it was the Umbaran's turn to let things hang in the air for a few moments before continuing. He resumed drumming his fingers along the arm rest of this godawful obsidian throne, his mask betraying nothing but a reflection of Janus and the rest of the atrium as it lay before him.

"Or I can go down to my local Iron Crown retailer and purchase an Eternity Circuit for, what? A hundred thousand credits, tops. And that's only if I catch Ms. Ventus in a bad mood."

He was subscribed to their newsletter. And even if he wasn't, a former droid mogul would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not find out an electronic method of cheating death was currently fluttering around in the R&D department of one of the Outer Rim's more reliable corporations. This offer would have offended Darth Adekos if he had elected to take it that way. A gauntlet capable of protecting himself from all harm and then some for what? A sheet of paper someone dug out of a tomb, detailing some Force Power he never wanted to learn- that he could have dug out of the Telos Holocron or one of his colleagues if he did want to learn.

Sure, an Eternity Circuit would not guarantee his Force Powers pass into his next life. But Transfer Essence failed to guarantee his psyche. If Adekos had to choose between his space magic and his sanity, the space magic would lose every time. He could function without the Force, run corporations. He would be reduced back to a member of the One Sith if he lost his mind.

Adekos was about to say something to that effect when Orcus came lumbering back into the room from the side entrance, diverting his attention. He waited for the Herglic to be seated before continuing. "We were just about to move on from the subject of immortality, actually." He said, looking back to Janus. "Let us dispense haggling over the gauntlet, Lord Janus. I no longer believe you have anything that could move me to part with it."

The amusement was over now. Time to talk business, otherwise there was nothing to talk about. The Triumvirate was loathe to have its time wasted, so hopefully Janus had come with more prepared than just a trade offer.

"Why don't we turn to a more productive subject? Perhaps we can instead discuss how both of our organizations stand to benefit from mutual cooperation."

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Carach"] l [member="Darth Orcus"]​

​

Janus frowned. He was losing the Sith Lord's attention. He knew that one they dropped the topic, there would be no revisiting it. He had to hook him while he still had the chance. Adekos seemed to at least be interested in the subject of immortality, but the man of many faces would have to propose something that would give him a definite advantage over all other forms of everlasting life. Luckily, he still had one more ace up his sleeve.​

​

"If you will entertain this notion for but another minute, I think it will be worth your while. Though I am not entirely educated on the ways of the Eternity Circuit, I know it will place you in a droid body. No more tasting of food, no more feeling of touch. You will loose all natural sensation, something that would drive some men mad. However, I can offer you near-immortality that won't even require your death and rebirth. No, this is as close as one will get to such a feat of undeath."​

​

Always possessing a flair for the dramatic, Janus would let his words hang in there air for a moment to build suspense. What he was about to offer was something extraordinarily rare and powerful, something the majority of force-wielders in the galaxy could only dream of.​

​

"The way I propose is an ancient method discovered by a certain Lord Ergast. Simply put, it will allow you to bind force ghosts to yourself. If used correctly, this will not fragment or corrupt your being as you are concerned about. They will keep you anchored to this plane of existence, and it would take quite some doing for another to kill you. They will also increase your prowess in combat, either by increasing your physical attributes or your ability to wield the force. They will give you access to knowledge from millennia past. Think about it, you may call upon the counsel of any dead sentient creature in the history of the galaxy."​

​

The lord of the Black Sun would pause yet again, this time allowing the magnitude of what he was proposing to sink in. After giving the effect a couple seconds to settle in, he would press his attack.​

​

"Of course, I have only listed a few ways in which these ghosts could benefit you. With enough creativity, the sky is truly the limit. And I can guarantee you there are very few in this galaxy that know the secrets of the ability, even less that know how to do it without destroying the practitioner, and less than a handful that would teach it to you. This immense power could be yours to wield, just at the price of a single gauntlet."​

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Darth Orcus"] | [member="Janus"]

"The need for such earthly pleasures as touch and taste can be transcended through rigorous meditation." Or simulated through intricate programming, memory recall; maybe even a modified olfactory sensor in regards to taste. His vocalized answer was abridged because now he was getting tired of this line of questioning; so tired that he was willing to sound like a machine cultist to get off of this topic. The technology was there, it just needed to be applied. This was all theoretical, of course. Darth Adekos did not intend to die or lose his favorite senses any time soon. But this constant talking about it was really starting to sour his mood. Did it really make anyone happy to live under the constant reminder of their own mortality? Weren't there better things to think about?

Like the business of running this country?

Although incapable of replicating the Muun's greatest teachings, Adekos considered himself a disciple of Plagueis' philosophy. And that entailed disdain for Force Ghosts. Even if there were dozens of them living in that one artifact Carach had surgically implanted within him. The Kidney of Goulash or something. Maybe Carach and some other ancient Sith Lords had the temperament, knowledge, and skill to to keep bound spirits subservient. Having never dabbled in Sith Magic at all, much less something that advanced, Adekos was not going to risk it. What a humiliating way to die: body hijacked by a legion of phantoms.

"I repeat, I will hear no more of this bartering, Janus. Speak of something else or leave."

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Carach"] l [member="Darth Orcus"]​

​

The masked man sighed. It seemed there wasn't anything he could offer at the moment that would seize Adekos's attention. A shame, for sure. However, he would find a way. Eventually.​

​

Janus would twirl his hand in a "continue on" sort of gesture. His posture would portray the fact he was slightly exasperated by the Darth's refusal, but not to the point of tantrum-esque behavior. No, he just wasn't to fond of being denied what he wished, especially when he offered up such valuable prizes in return.​

​

"Very well, Lord Adekos. What would you like from me? Given your earlier comments, I assume you wish for assistance in the form of the Black Sun. What would you like us to do for you?"​

​

Depending on the size of what the Triumvir wanted, maybe Janus could even possibly still barter for the gauntlet. Perhaps a price of credits and resources would better serve the Syndicate as a whole, but Janus didn't care about the rest of his organization all too much.​

​

No, he was only after personal power.​

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Darth Orcus"] | [member="Janus"]

"Hutt Space sits in our very backyard, Mr. Janus. The Hutt Cartel has finally collapsed, leaving their former territory in the hands of feuding, petty warlords." Adekos shifted slightly into a more relaxed position. Now that he was no longer constantly deflecting sales pitches, he could get to something more substantial. "If the Triumvirate is to take its rightful place in the galaxy, these worlds will need to come into our fold. Letting anarchy rule over worlds so close to our core is simply not acceptable."

Darth Adekos had absolutely no desire to deal with the wretched Hutts militarily. A campaign would have been costly and resulted in longstanding conflict far after the occupation began. Guerrilla warfare as far as the eye could see. The Hutts would need to be dealt with diplomatically, but the criminal contacts of the assembled Triumvirs were not expansive enough to deliver all of Hutt Space into their grasp.

"Unfortunately, we are outsiders to the underworld. Many of the Hutt warlords refuse to deal with us. The Sith Triumvirate requires the assistance of an organization familiar with this region of space and the... Characters that occupy it. The Black Sun Syndicate ruled over these worlds once and maintained sizable holdings before the Republic saw fit to topple it. Help us take these worlds, Lord Janus, and bring the Hutts to heel. In return, the Triumvirate will make the Syndicate the undisputed ruler of the sector's criminal underground."

The Black Sun Syndicate, in the past, had made the mistake of becoming a country. An organization like the Syndicate should have chiefly concerned itself with profit, not government. Provided Janus also understood as much, he would know the best way to see the Syndicate return to the power it once had was through a partnership with an already established government. One that would easily back the Syndicate into getting it where it needed to be.

 

[The Red of Sinner]

[member="Darth Adekos"] [member="Darth Orcus"] [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Janus"]

The planet was not something Romeo was used to, the Valley of the Jedi was something, though, he had always wanted to for himself. Dark Jedi like Desann had used it to create artificial Dark Jedi, the Reborn. It was a historical place for force users like himself. A place where someone without a religious view on the force attempted to put order to the galaxy. The Triumvirate's presence here was something of a mockery in Romeo's eyes, but it could have been worse, it could have been the One Sith here instead. He was actually on his way to give a report to the Triumvirs of the new Sith Order that had risen, why, though, was he working...for Sith? Everyone who knew Romeo, or at least of him, knew him as the Sith Slayer. His hatred for them was infamous.

It was simple.

These Sith reminded him of the Sith Empire he had grew up in. They wanted order, not death. They were logical, and somewhat...peaceful. Least, that was what he told everyone when they had asked him, right before he killed them to keep his presence within this government private. Romeo was here for very personal, and very unknown reasons.

As he made his way to though the citadel, the dark presence here was strong as adepts underneath warped, and disfigured what they Jedi had called beautiful, something he thought he could call beautiful. He shook his head. Behind him, two of his own Blood Knights followed, the other two staying with his ship that had brought him here. It was probably odd, seeing three men in all white in such a dark place. That was the whole point, the oxymoron in it made Romeo feel amused. His white robes of that were not the same as his prhik ones fluttered behind him with each step. Even his mask was different from the one he was commonly seen in. Only his Blood Knights gave away who he was.

When he finally made it to the large doors that held the top dogs of this joint government, two guards stopped him.

"Who are you, and what business do you have here?"

Romeo shook his head, and placed a hand behind him to single the preparing Knights to back off.

"Centurion Sin. I am essentially running the chore that my Legate ha failed to do so. I come with a report for the Triumvirs."

The guards looked at one another, then back at Romeo.

"The...two must way here while you deliver your report Centurion."

Romeo gently nodded his head at them.

"That will be fine. Stay here, and make sure these guards do their jobs correctly."

The Vahla would slowly walk past the guards, opening the large doors with one hand with the datapad in the other. It was no secret that the Triumvirate wanted to get rid of their neighbors behind them. Romeo's sect had prepared a spec ops team to scout the planets, and it's...remnants of criminal activity. They would also be able to stay for any period of time these men decided was sufficient.

Inside...three men and one very large whale here having their own discussion. All Romeo caught on to it was something about Syndicate controlling this sector's underground organizations. Romeo smirked to himself in pleasure. He stopped about ten feet away from the men with a slight bow. Romeo knew it was best to wait to be addressed before saying a word to these people.

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Darth Carach"] l [member="Darth Adekos"] l [member="Darth Orcus"] l [member="Romeo Sin"]​

​

Janus raised an eyebrow behind the mask. The offer had merit, or it least it did to the unacquainted with the criminal world. If he was running a government, Adekos's deal would sound appealing indeed. However, he was running a criminal organization. And as far as he was concerned, he didn't need anyone's permission to do his business regardless of who owned the planet.​

​

"While your offer is appreciated, I have no need of it. You need me to control criminal activities in your territories. In return, you name us head of the Triumvirate's criminal underworld. Tell, since when have criminals needed to ask permission? Since when do we need validation by other parties? Who's to say we aren't already slowly and subtly filling the gap left by the Cartel? I'm not saying we are unwilling to control the criminal activities on your worlds, but I will need to hear a much more enticing offer before I am compelled to do so."​

​

Just as he finished speaking, the door swung open behind him as a man walked in. What was this? Did the Triumvirate regularly allow business meetings to be interrupted like this? The Lord of the Black Sun was unimpressed with the disruption, to say the least.​

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Darth Carach"] | [member="Darth Orcus"] | [member="Janus"] | [member="Romeo Sin"]

It was rude to interrupt meetings like this, but Adekos was not about to demean himself by chastising an employee in front of an honored guest. So long as the interloping Centurion stayed quiet until proceedings here were wrapped up, Darth Adekos had no further issue with his presence. The attendant who stood by the door, the one holding the datapad with the docket, started to slink a little further into the shadows as he nervously made some adjustments to accommodate Sin's sudden arrival.

Amateurs.

"The Hutts have a saying, Lord Janus. 'If not us, then someone else.' It is a rare nugget of wisdom among their kind." He said. "If you would rather not have the resources of the Sith Triumvirate at your back as you spread the Syndicate's influence across the sector, that is your prerogative. Just as it will be the prerogative of one of your enemies to accept."

There were as many criminal cartels, clans, syndicates, and consortiums as there were stars in the sky. The Black Sun Syndicate, while arguably the most profound, was but one of many. The Exchange in particular lead to mind. Besides, if they could not find a suitable candidate to pacify the underworld for them, then the Triumvirate would simply make one.

In any event, the Triumvir continued on, "One of your competitors in the underworld will accept this offer. When they do, they will have a staggering advantage over everyone else. Perhaps it will take time. Perhaps it won't. But one way or another, the criminal operations of those organizations not on our payroll will be dismantled or absorbed. You may either serve as a minor inconvenience for a short period time or accept this offer, allowing the Black Sun to rule once again."